So Alive
by Chellepo1977
Summary: Recently divorced Rick is spending a lonely night at the bar when a woman walks in and changes everything. Follow along as they embark on a new journey together. This is an AU Richonne story with No Zombies. Characters belong to AMC, story belongs to me.
1. So Alive

**A/N: updated to remove song lyrics. :(**

 **I heard this song on the radio yesterday and I had this idea and I had to write it before it left me. Now that it's out of my system, I can get back to Love Tumbles Down. :)**

 **So Alive**

Rick sat at the bar staring glumly into his drink. It had been another long week and he didn't have the reward of seeing his son this weekend to prevent the events of the last year from weighing him down. The divorce had been final for nearly six months but instead of getting easier like everyone said it would, it was getting harder. Seeing Carl every other weekend wasn't nearly enough, but Lori had moved to Atlanta with her new man making it almost impossible for any other arrangement. Every time he'd meet her halfway between King County and Atlanta to pick up his son, it seemed like he had grown so much and Rick felt like he was missing it all.

To top it all off, he'd been invited to a wedding at Greene's Farm tomorrow and that was the last place he wanted to spend his time. He'd pretty much decided that he wasn't going. He'd apologize profusely to the bride's father the next time he saw him but after everything happened with Lori, Rick wasn't sure if he even believed in love anymore.

It was the cop in him, but a commotion near the door drew him out of his own head long enough to look up seeking the source. All he found was a group of people greeting each other like it had been ages since they'd last been together. He was just about to return to his drink when he caught a glimpse of her.

Rick could only see her from behind but everything about her screamed to him that she was beautiful. Her dark hair fell down to the middle of her back in a mixture of curls and locs creating a stark contrast against her long sleeved white shirt. Her group was waiting for a table and she was swaying her hips to the 80's rock song pouring out of the jukebox and through the speakers. The only thing that made her stop was another member of her group pulling her into a warm hug. Rick thought the woman she was hugging was Hershel Greene's daughter Maggie, the woman getting married the next day. She had moved to Atlanta for college and ended up staying to teach elementary school there. Hershel gave him a proud father update every time he saw him in town getting supplies for the farm. On his last update, Hershel had handed him an invitation to his daughter's wedding. She was marrying a fellow teacher and Hershel couldn't have been happier. He said his future son-in-law was good for his daughter and he wanted Rick to come celebrate with his family at the wedding. Rick hemmed and hawed a bit but after a lecture from Hershel about letting go of the past and things breaking but still growing, he had agreed to go just to get the man off his back.

The two women released each other and he was sure that one of them was in fact Maggie, but it was the other woman who had completely captivated him.

He paused to appreciate her for a moment; allowing his eyes to travel down to the high heeled boots on her feet and back up her seemingly never-ending legs to her ample behind covered in dark jeans that were made to highlight every inch of her curvaceous form. The group she was with started walking toward a table and his breath caught in his throat as she turned around and he saw her face. King County was a small town and he was sure that he'd remember seeing that face. Her hair was pulled back, leaving her flawless, mahogany skin to shine despite the dim lighting inside the bar making it seem as though she were lit from within. Her dark eyes sparkled with mirth as she laughed with her friends revealing a brilliant smile that had the power to brighten the world.

He nervously turned his attention back to his drink as a feeling he hadn't felt in years crept over him. Warmth flooded his veins and it wasn't the alcohol in front of him. His attraction to her was palpable; he was sure it was seeping out of his pores and charging the air around him. He had shocked himself with the intensity of it, and suddenly he wanted to know everything about her. She'd already commanded his sight, but his other four senses craved her. He wanted to know what her voice sounded like, what she smelled like, how her skin would feel beneath his fingertips, and what she tasted like. He closed his eyes and he could see her full lips stained a deep red and his mind invented a myriad of scenarios where he could taste those lips. Like a magnet, his eyes were pulled in her direction again as soon as he opened them. She was looking down at her menu and absently running her fingers across one of her locs. He noticed that even the waiter faltered when she turned toward him with that blinding smile.

Just seeing a gorgeous woman had never affected him this way. Not that he'd really had the opportunity. He'd married his high school sweetheart days after he graduated from college and had spent the last fifteen years devoted to his wife and son. Lori had been all he wanted, all he needed really and he thought she felt the same until one day he stopped being that for her. He closed his eyes and tried to refocus his thoughts as he absently ran a hand over his beard. He didn't want to think about his failed marriage. He only wanted to think about the beautiful woman sitting across the bar.

There were six people at her table and she was sitting between two men; one was young, Asian and falling all over Maggie who was sitting on the other side of him. Rick concluded that he was the lucky groom and he recognized the man sitting on the other side as Daryl Dixon. Daryl owned a car repair shop in town and Rick knew him in passing. He'd moved to town a few years before and Rick found him to be a nice enough guy, but no matter how nice he thought Daryl was, he would never think him worthy of the goddess at his side. Rick frowned when he noticed Daryl's arm draped over the back of her chair and the way she leaned in toward him whenever he spoke; falling against him in fits of laughter. Rick looked away as he became consumed with another unfamiliar emotion. Jealousy.

He looked up again and panic flooded his heart. She was gone and his eyes searched the restaurant for her. A few minutes passed without any luck but just when he was going to give up, he saw her reflection in the mirror over the bar as she emerged from the ladies room but his panic only increased because she was headed straight for him. She moved with a level of easy grace that he wasn't used to; carrying herself with a quiet confidence that had the power to command the attention of the entire restaurant. She didn't notice the heads that turned to watch her as she passed; she was the center of attention without even trying to be. As she made her way closer, he observed hints of red lace peeking through at the edges of her V neck shirt, drawing his attention to the swell of her chest and resulting in his mouth going dry. With a trembling hand, he lifted his glass to his lips just as she squeezed into the space between him and the empty barstool next to him and leaned against the bar.

She was trying to get the attention of the bartender but Rosita was on the other side of the bar, flirting with Spencer Monroe. Rosita had been crushing on Spencer since they were in grade school so Rick knew the mystery woman might be waiting a while. He just didn't know how long he would last with her standing so close to him. Her proximity to him made his heart beat faster like it was about to jump right out of his chest. She was even more striking up close if that was even possible. He didn't know what kind of perfume she was wearing but he detected hints of vanilla, oranges, and cinnamon. It was intoxicating.

It had to be a sign from God that she ended up standing right next to him and Rick had promised himself when Lori left that he would never ignore signs again. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, steeling his nerves to act on what his heart had decided from the moment he saw her.

He swiveled his barstool slightly in her direction and smiled nervously.

"It might be a while. Rosita has been tryin' to land Spencer since they were 12. Looks like she's finally makin' some headway", he stated, causing her to turn toward him. Her dark eyes inspected him for a moment before her lips curved into a little smile.

"That probably explains why you're nursing your drink." He glanced at his glass which had maybe one gulp left and laughed to himself.

"Yeah…who knows when I'll get another one." She laughed before sighing deeply.

"I'm trying to be sneaky and order a bottle of champagne for my table but it doesn't look like that's going to happen." He could listen to her talk all day. She didn't have a deep accent like most of the people in his town, but it was there in the way she said certain words like "trying" and "going".

"What's the occasion?", he asked.

"My friend is getting married tomorrow and I wanted to fulfill my responsibility as best woman by getting everyone slightly drunk the night before the wedding."

"Best woman? I don't think I've ever heard of that."

"Glenn…the groom…and I grew up together so I knew I would have to play some kind of role in his wedding…I didn't think it'd be as 'best woman' though. I was sure he'd pick Daryl for that.", she answered with a giggle.

"Who's Daryl?", he asked, trying his best to be nonchalant.

"Another friend we grew up with. He actually lives here…owns Dixon Auto Repair?"

"I don't know him well but I thought I saw him walk in a little while ago." Rick hoped he didn't send too excited at that news, but hearing that she wasn't with Daryl made him practically euphoric.

"Yeah, we're all sitting right over there", she pointed in the direction of the the table her friends were at and Rick tore his attention away from her long enough to look over there like he didn't already know. "We all lived on the same street as kids. Both of them are like my brothers." He nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"My friend Shane and I are like that too. We grew up together and now we're partners on the force together. He's like my brother." She smiled and he could feel it in his bones.

"I think everyone should have at least one friend like that.", she added, before looking around for the bartender again. Rosita was still with Spencer and Rick could've kissed her for it. She turned back to him. "So you're a cop?"

"I'm a deputy with the sheriff's office", he answered with a nod.

"I guess that puts both of us in law enforcement. I'm an assistant D.A. for the city of Atlanta." He grinned appreciatively at her choice of profession and admired her for it. She probably could've taken a job at a private firm making much more money that she was probably making working for the city.

"Well, counselor, I'm glad to hear we're on the same side."

"Same here, deputy", she agreed, as their eyes met in a lingering stare before they both looked away with a smile. Rosita had moved away from Spencer and to a patron not too far from them. He knew their time together was coming to an end so he pushed himself to continue their conversation.

"By any chance, is your friend marrying Maggie Greene?" Her eyes widened as he watched her try to figure out how he knew that. He decided to put her out of her misery. "It's a small town and her wedding is the social event of the season." She nodded her understanding at his explanation and slid onto the empty barstool next to her.

"That's right! Being from Atlanta, it's hard for me to fathom that." She paused to wave at Rosita who held up one finger in their direction. She rested her elbow on the bar, her chin on her palm, and turned her attention back to him. "Does that mean you're coming to the wedding tomorrow?"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it…", those words would've been a lie minuets earlier but now that he knew she would be there, he was going to be at that wedding come hell or high water. "By the way, my name is Rick." He extended his hand toward her and she shook it with a firm grip. Her hands were so soft and Rick wondered if her whole body felt like that.

"Pleasure to meet you, Rick. I'm Michonne." Her name was beautiful just like her, but he was distracted by the way she said his name putting additional emphasis on the "k". It sent shivers down his spine and made him want to hear her say it over and over again.

"Michonne…", he murmured, immediately loving the way her name felt on his tongue. In his mind, he made plans to say her name repeatedly. "That's a beautiful name. It suits you." A shy smile appeared on her lips as her eyes fell away from him and she tucked a stray loc behind her ear.

"Thank you…", she replied, allowing her eyes to meet his again. Their stares locked and Rick knew he couldn't have been the only one feeling whatever it was in the air between them. "I should probably get back to my table. They're probably wondering where I am…" Rick watched as she slid off the barstool and he saw his opportunity slipping away.

Rick summoned what was left of his courage and cleared his throat.

"Hey, since you're going to the wedding tomorrow and so am I, how about you save me a dance?" His words stopped her in her tracks and she tilted her head as she processed what he was asking her.

"You could just ask me tomorrow", she finally offered. He leaned into her and gave her half a grin.

"I didn't want to risk anyone else askin' you first…and I was hoping that you might want to save all of your dances for me." He didn't know where he was pulling this from. It had been years since he'd asked anyone out, but you wouldn't guess that from his behavior in that moment.

"I think I have to dance with the groom at least once, and Daryl…", she countered. He shook his head refusing to back down from his request.

"Then I'm asking for all of your dances minus those two." She raised an eyebrow at him and the corner of her lip turned up in a smirk.

"Are you always this confident?", she questioned; her awestruck expression making the smile on his face stretch even wider.

"Actually, I haven't asked a woman to dance in nearly 20 years and right now I'm terrified that you're gonna turn me down."

"You hide it well…", she said.

"I'm a 38 year old divorced dad and suddenly I'm talking to the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. She turns out to be smart, funny, and probably a million other things that I want to learn everything about. She also has a smile that makes me forget about all of the bad things that have ever happened to me. Believe me, on the inside, I'm a complete mess." He couldn't quite read the look on her face as he poured his heart out to her, but he felt completely calm under her scrutiny.

"What if…what if instead of claiming the majority of my dances, you come to the wedding with me as my date? The dances kinda come with that package…" He worried that his heart might stop beating as soon as he heard hose words leave her lips. Instead, it beat even faster; to the point where he felt like one of those cartoon characters with his heart visibly beating outside of his chest.

"I like that idea.", he finally answered after pulling himself together. That brilliant smile crept across her face again and he knew in that moment that he'd never get tired of seeing it.

"Good", she whispered before glancing back over to her table. "Listen… I really should go. My friends are going to send a search party for me if I don't get back over there…I'll see you tomorrow?" He nodded, following her gaze over to the table where he saw Daryl looking around for her.

"I'm looking forward to it", he said, earning another smile from her, but as she turned to walk away, he was overcome with panic. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called out to her.

"Michonne?" She turned around with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Do you think I can have your number?" The strange look in her eyes disappeared and was replaced with one of amusement.

"470-555-0712." He quickly entered the numbers into his phone before looking back up at her. "Bye, Rick."

"Bye, Michonne."

He watched her walk away and rejoin her friends at their table. His eyes couldn't leave her until she finally looked up and met his stare. He was graced with that smile again and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey, Rick…where did the woman you were talking to go? I thought she wanted to order something." Rick gave Rosita the biggest most grateful smile he could muster and it must have shocked her because her eyes went wider than he'd ever seen them.

"She wanted a bottle of champagne delivered to her table. You can put it on my tab and close me out." Rosita wrinkled her eyebrows before shrugging and doing as she was told. He reached into his wallet pulling out a few twenties. When Rosita reappeared, he handed it all to her and told her to keep the change as he rose from his seat and started toward the door. He glanced back toward her table one last time and caught her mid laugh. She was practically glowing with happiness and it made him happy to see her like that. He was planning on seeing her like that a lot. He walked through the doors and out into the warm spring night, feeling more alive than he had in a very long time. For a brief moment he hadn't been dwelling on his ex-wife's betrayal, his distance from his son, or on how miserable he'd been over the last year. All he could think about was the future starting with the wedding the next day and as long as she was a part of it, the future looked pretty bright.

 **Thanks for reading! I've never written a one-shot before more or less a song-fic so this was completely new to me. I hope you all enjoyed i! Please let me know in the comments and reviews!**

 **Song: So Alive by Love and Rockets**

 **I LOVE the original but by OTB (One True Band) Better than Ezra covered it a few years ago and I LOVE it too! Links below.**


	2. The Way You Look Tonight

A/N: The response to So Alive was amazing and I thank you all for your support and encouragement from the bottom of my heart! So, by popular demand…the wedding date. Since it can't really be a songfic, here are the songs you might want to listen to in order to get the feel of this one.

 _Some Kind of Wonderful by Grand Funk Railroad_

 _T-R-O-U-B-L-E by Travis Tritt_

 _This is What You Came For - Rihanna_

 _The Way You Look Tonight - Tony Bennett_

I love lyrics and I chose these songs specifically for something I heard in the lyrics.

I don't know how far I'll go with this. Maybe a series of one shots? Some linear like these first two chapters, some not so linear… Let me know what you think. I admit, I do like the Rick and Michonne in this world. :)

 **Chapter Two - The Way You Look Tonight**

Being the "Best Woman's" date to a wedding wasn't all it was cracked up to be. First of all, he couldn't pick her up at her door because she was already at the Greene Farm. Second, she was actually in the wedding so when Jessie Anderson claimed the seat next to him for the ceremony, he couldn't really tell her to move. Jessie had been trying her dammedness to get him have dinner with her for the last six months, but he'd always found an excuse to turn her down. She was cute…in a cookie cutter sort of way, but he just wasn't interested. Suddenly, he was trapped next to her as she droned on and on about her ex and her two boys.

The final reason he was second guessing his decision to come as the best woman's date was because from the minute he saw her standing up at the altar with the groom, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a bun and it was decorated with dozens of little gold clips. The black dress she wore to match the groomsmen, fell to her feet in waves of sheer, gauzy fabric; but the strapless bodice was a brilliant sunflower yellow to match the bridesmaids. Seeing her like that made him want to see her in yellow more often; the color made her gorgeous complexion more radiant if that was even possible.

She was distractingly beautiful and Rick barely paid attention to anything else during the ceremony. The first time she caught him staring, she'd given him a warm smile that he felt clear on the other side of the meadow the wedding was being held in. In his mind, even the sky with its myriad of sunset colors couldn't compare to her. It made a rush of heat spread through his entire body and he felt his cheeks turning red. He'd looked away quickly after returning her smile with one of his own.

The other time she caught him was during the vows. Rick tuned in to the ceremony just in time to hear Glenn tell Maggie, _"The day I met you was the day my life started over again…"_ , and something about those words made him look back to Michonne. She was focused on Glenn, and even though she was still smiling, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She hadn't been in his life for a day, but in some ways he already felt the same way about her. She made him feel things he hadn't felt in a very long time; things that during his lowest moments, he never thought he'd feel again. He was so deep in his own thoughts that he wasn't sure how long she was looking back at him when their eyes finally met, but from the curious expression on her face, he knew he'd been under her scrutiny for a while. He gave her half a smile before dragging his eyes away from her in an effort to focus on the rest of the ceremony. He only had to make it to the reception. Then, their date could really begin.

The reception was in the barn which was decorated so beautifully that it was on par with any banquet hall in the city of Atlanta. Hershel had gone all out on everything from the food to hiring King County's only band, Jacqui and The Dreamers, playing the tunes. The food was being catered by Peltier Catering, and Carol was an excellent cook. There was chicken, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, quite a few different vegetables, homemade dinner rolls, and sweet tea. It was nothing fancy but the down home cooking was perfect for that crowd. Then there was the six layer wedding cake made up of six different flavors; vanilla, red velvet, almond, strawberry, lemon, and Mexican chocolate.

It was all wonderful but Rick was waiting impatiently through the pictures, toasts, speeches, and the two dances he'd given up for Michonne's Woman of Honor duties to be over. Just getting glimpses of her throughout the day was beginning to grate on his nerves

"Hello, Rick." The voice came from behind him, but he knew immediately who it was. Yet another thing grating on his nerves.

"Hi, Jessie", he greeted, slowly turning around and giving her a cordial smile. She leaned in close to him with a coy twinkle in her eye and ran her hand along his arm.

"You don't need to be standing over here on your lonesome. Why don't you come dance with me?" He'd just opened his mouth to politely turn her down when over Jessie's shoulder, he saw Michonne heading his way. She was looking right at him and wearing that smile he was quickly falling in love with and he felt himself smiling back at her. "Rick?" He glanced down at the woman, annoyed that she was currently standing between him and the woman he'd waited all day to get close to.

"I'm sorry, Jessie, but all of my dances are already promised to someone else." He was stepping around her before he even finished the sentence and before he could see the way her face fell as she watched him walk away from her. He was completely focused on the beauty heading his way. The grace he'd glimpsed the night before at the bar was on display as she walked toward him like she was on a catwalk. The dress, though very demure, hugged her in all the right places.

They met halfway; with Rick trying his best to maintain his cool exterior while he was exploding with excitement on the inside.

"Here you are! Finally, our date can begin." He groaned inwardly at how eager he sounded. He'd never been good at playing it cool.

"Yeah…", she sighed, "I didn't consider the logistics of having a last minute date especially since I'm in the wedding. I'm sorry I made you wait so long." She looked and sounded genuinely apologetic and he had to put her out of her misery.

"It's ok. I've been enjoyin' myself while waitin' for you. Besides, we have the rest of the night for our first date."

"First?", she asked, playfully raising an eyebrow. He felt himself blush and he nervously shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Well, counselor, I'm hopin' it'll be the first of many", he recovered. She tried to hide her smile by pursing her lips but her happy eyes gave her away. It was nice to see that he wasn't the only one showing his hand.

"We'll see, deputy." He couldn't stop his eyes from tracing her perfect form from head to toe. When she caught him, she stopped even trying to hide her smile. "See something you like?"

"Of course…you're absolutely stunning! I know they say you're not supposed to outshine the bride but you set the bar real high for Maggie."

"Stop it! Maggie was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen!", she countered but he remained unconvinced.

"If she was, I didn't notice. I was too distracted by the woman of honor."

"Thank you…", she looked away adorably to hide her blush before turning back to him. "You know...you clean up real nice yourself! I'm sure you caused many a distraction looking the way you do. That suit makes your eyes look even more blue if that's even possible.", she said; her fingers lightly absently tracing his lapel as she spoke. He glanced down to remind himself which suit he wearing so he could remember to wear it again when he was with her. There was nothing inherently special about the navy blue suit, but the fact that she liked it made it his favorite.

"Tell me you were one of the people distracted by me and I'll die a happy man…", Flirting with her came way too easy for him. He didn't know what she was doing to him but all he wanted to do when he was around her was smile, laugh and flirt.

She looked up at him through hooded eyes and smiled before offering her answer of "Maybe just a little bit".

"I'll take it!" As they laughed together, the band started into a cover of _Some Kind of Wonderful_ and Rick was ready to claim his first dance of the evening. He extended his hand toward her with a grin. "Ready for that first dance?" She nodded and took his hand falling into fit of laughter when he twirled her into his arms.

"Do you have moves, Rick?" He loved the surprise in her voice and he shrugged as they began to move together to the music.

"I may have a few." It was strange how natural it felt considering how long it had been since he'd held a woman in his arms, not to mention dance with one. They danced for what seemed like hours but really was three uptempo songs. _Some Kind of Wonderful_ , followed a little country by way of _T-R-O-U-B-L-E_ , and something new for the younger guests, _This is What You Came For_. The band could play anything and Jacqui had an amazing voice.

Michonne was the one with moves and lucky for him, these were the type of songs you didn't need too much coordination to dance to. All he had to do was move his hips a little bit, try not to step on her toes, hold on to her as much as he could, and enjoy the way she flirted with him as she danced. She'd give his tie a little tug every now and then, and that was his sign to pull her in closer. His hands rested on the curve of her hips, his fingertips savoring the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of her dress. Her arms would drift around his neck, and his hands would occasionally drift up to touch her shoulders and back; the sensation of her bare skin against his sent shivers throughout his entire body. But thing that really sent his heart racing was when her fingers would tangle in the curls at the back of his neck making him grateful for not having time to get a haircut.

He laughed more during those three songs than he had in months and the joyful expression that never left her face, told him that she was feeling the same. When the last song ended, she breathlessly fell into him with a giggle.

"I need a break!", she announced, grabbing his hand and leading him toward the bar. He hadn't danced like that in a very long time and he was feeling it.

"You?", he breathed, "I'm the one tryin' to keep up with you out there!" She was beaming when she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Give yourself some credit! You're more than trying to keep up!" She wasn't quite patronizing him, but he knew she was being overly kind.

"I thought lawyers were good at lyin…" That drew a huge laugh from her and it was contagious. They were still laughing when they reached the bar. He listened as she asked the bartender for a Stella, causing him to grin appreciatively.

"Nice choice! I'll have the same." Once they had their beers, they found a table as far away from the action as they could get with two empty chairs. He leaned over and clinked their bottles together. "To first dates!", he exclaimed, before taking a drink from his bottle.

"To first dates!", she concurred taking a as she took a long swig from her beer.

"So…tell me more about you, Rick. I don't even know your last name." He couldn't believe it, but she was right. They didn't even know each other's last names but here he was feeling like he'd known her forever.

"It's Grimes and there's not too much more to tell. I grew up right here in King County, my mom still lives in the same house but my dad passed a few years ago. I got married right after I graduated from college with my criminal justice degree, came back here and joined the force..."

"Why did you want to be a cop?" she asked, her attention completely focused on him in genuine interest.

"My dad was the sheriff around here when I was kid so I guess it's the family business in a way", he explained but there was so much more to it than that. "But also, I always enjoyed helping people and I thought being a cop would give me a chance to make a difference. I think that's why I haven't taken a desk job yet. I like being out there, you know…" A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips as she nodded in understanding.

"That's noble", she mused, but he immediately shook his head.

"It's just the truth." He looked away before he started talking again. "I've been divorced for about six months now…separated a long time before that. My ex got remarried about three months ago and moved to Atlanta with our son."

"What's your son's name?"

"Carl. He's ten." He couldn't help himself from pulling his phone out to show her a picture. It was one they'd taken the last time they went fishing. Her face lit up when saw the picture on his phone.

"Aww...he's so handsome! He has your eyes! What's he like?" Her questions came rapid fire and it made his heart swell that she was so interested in hearing about his son who was the absolute light of his life.

"He's a good kid. Loves video games and comic books like most ten year olds. Makes me take him to every superhero movie on opening day…that might be harder now…but I'll make it work." She reached out and rested a comforting hand on his thigh.

"You love him so I'm sure you will." He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze; grateful for her understanding of what he was dealing with.

"Other than that, I think you know all of the important things. What about you? I don't think I know your last name either." The words came out fast. He wanted to change the subject before he couldn't hide how much her words meant to him from her anymore.

"It's Pierce and my life is pretty boring…", she began, leaning back in her chair.

"I don't believe that for a minute!" He wrinkled his eyebrows and looked at her incredulously.

"It's true!", she maintained. "I work…a lot! When I'm not working I like to spend time with my friends. My mom and dad retired to Florida last year so I don't get to see them as much as I'd like to. My little brother, Noah, is going to college in Miami so I really think they moved down there to keep an eye on him. He is the baby and everything." Rick laughed, knowing exactly what she meant.

"I know what that's like! My little brother, Jeff, moved down to Louisiana to work on the oil rigs so we don't see him much. I swear you'd think he moved to Siberia to hear my mama tell it." She broke into one of those belly laughs and gently pushed his shoulder.

"Exactly! Anyway…I've never been married…came close once but it didn't work out." He couldn't hide his surprise at that and he couldn't believe that there was a man out there dumb enough to let her go.

"Sounds like there's a story there…" Her mood had changed and she was staring blankly into her beer.

"Yeah, but it's one we've all heard before and not worth retelling." There was hesitation in her voice and even though he wanted to know the story, he decided not to push.

"Why'd you become a D.A.?" Just as fast as her mood had shifted, it shifted back and she was smiling again.

"Same as you I guess. I wanted to help people and putting bad guys away while making sure not to put away the good ones, is how I decided to do it."

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who can be called noble." She raised an eyebrow and brought the bottle back up to her lips.

"Nah…it's just the truth…", she said, throwing his words from earlier right back at him. "Other than that, I actually have a lot in common with your son. I love comic books and I can play PS4 with the best of them!"

"If you can eat your body weight in Big Kat bars, you could be my son's new best friend!" She pretended to think about it for a minute before happily shrugging.

"Maybe not my body weight, but my chocolate addiction is a force to be reckoned with!"

"I'll remember that!" And he was sure he would, just like he was sure that he would remember everything about her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything.", he replied. She bit her bottom lip before sighing deeply and when she finally spoke, the words all came out in a rush.

"Who's the blonde woman you were talking to earlier? She's been giving me the evil eye all night! Every time I look up I catch her silently judging me!" Rick looked up and followed her line of sight to the the other side of the barn where Jessie was standing with her arms folded talking to Myra Basset. They were both staring directly at them wearing the same sour look. Rick shook his head and looked back over to Michonne.

"I'm sorry. Her name is Jessie and she's been askin' me over for dinner since before my divorce was final." He explained. "She just won't take the hint." She burst into a broad smile and playfully slapped his knee.

"I knew it! You are entirely too handsome and too much of a gentleman not to have women falling all over you!" He was thoroughly embarrassed and was sure he'd turned the same magenta color as Myra's bottle dyed hair.

"It's not even like that." It was almost like she sensed his unease and she leaned in closer to him and cupped his face in her hand.

"I don't know how I feel about having to compete for your affections…", she teased, as she ran her fingertips across the stubble there. He melted under her touch and turned his head to place a kiss on her palm, causing her eyes to widen slightly.

"Don't worry. You don't have any competition when it comes to me.", he stated firmly.

"Is that right?" He narrowed his eyes confidently and gave her a single nod.

"Damn right…but you're not the only one catching stares tonight. I've noticed no less than six pairs of prying eyes watching me."

"I'm sure it was because of your moves on the dance floor..." He shook his head at her joke.

"Somehow, I don't think that's it." She closed her eyes and hung her head.

"It's probably my friends. When I told them I had a date, they were very curious about you. I gave them explicit orders not to bother us and it's probably killing them."

"You did?", he laughed and she peered at him defensively.

"It's our first date. Is it selfish to say I wanted you all to myself? Well...as much as you can be at a wedding reception." He studied her for just a moment before clearing his throat and taking her hand in his.

"Would it be selfish to say I was thinking the same thing?", he asked. They were quickly becoming locked in each other's gaze when an idea occurred to Rick."Hey…do you want to get out of here?"

She eyed him suspiciously and asked, "And go where?"

"Not too far but away from curious friends and silent judging.", he answered quickly, "Meet me right outside the barn in 5 minutes." He could tell she only thought about it for few seconds before making up her mind.

"I'll be there."

"Where are we going?", she asked. They'd been walking through the meadow for less than five minutes but he understood her hesitation. She was walking out in the middle of nowhere with a man she hardly knew. He was glad she trusted him that far. He answered by giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he came to a stop between two giant magnolia trees.

"We're here. Look." He pointed over to their right and she squinted as she scanned the area.

"Is that a lake?" The question came out in a breathy sigh and she squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"Yeah", he affirmed. "Maggie's dad used to have the best July 4th cook outs. He'd invite the whole town and all us kids loved swimming in the lake. When I got older, I used to come to this spot to think…I still do. The stars are so bright here without all the streetlights taking away from em." The starlight reflected off the water, casting a glow all around them and the smell of magnolias in the air reminded him of those childhood days. All the time he'd spent out there over the years, he was surprised to realize that he'd never brought a woman to that spot. He'd been at the lake with Lori over the years at many a celebration but he'd never shared that spot with her. He'd sat there when he was deciding to go to the academy, thinking about proposing to Lori, after his father passed, and after Lori told him she was leaving...

"Wow…I never get to see the stars like this in Atlanta. It's breathtaking!", she exclaimed, her melodic voice pulling him from his memories. He glanced over at her and saw that her expression matched the awe he heard in her tone.

"Yeah it is", he agreed, speaking more about the woman at his side than the view. He placed the bag he was carrying on the ground before spreading his jacket out next to it. He sat on the very edge, leaving most of it for her. Her dress was too gorgeous to ruin with grass stains. He motioned for her to sit and gave her his hand to help guide her to the ground. They sat so close that their thighs were touching. "I have another surprise for you."

"What is it?" The excitement in her voice made him even more excited to show her. He reached into the bag he'd been carrying and pulled out two beers and handed her one. "So that's where you disappeared to! You must've been a boy scout!"

"I was and that may be why these aren't the only things in this bag…" He pulled out a plate covered with another plate. He removed the top plate with a flourish revealing a very large slice of chocolate wedding cake with two forks. "Ta-da!" Her eyebrows shot up and she covered her mouth with her free hand.

"Oh my god! How did you get that? I thought it was gone!"

"As a deputy of this town, I've got connections…really, I know the caterer and I know she always sets a few extras to the side." She grabbed a fork and brought a piece of cake to her mouth; closing her eyes and moaning a little as soon as it touched her lips. Rick finally found a sound he enjoyed more than her laugh. That moan did things to him and he had to look away to give himself a chance to calm down.

"This is amazing! Have you tried it?" He slowly shook his head, trying to shake away his thoughts which were slightly inappropriate for a first date.

"Not yet." She frowned and nudged to plate back over to him and gestured for him to pick up the other fork and share the cake.

"Come on! Live a little!" She had no idea that he'd lived more with her that day than he had in months. He did as he was told and the cake was good. Just not as good as watching her enjoy it.

As they shared cake, their conversation ran the gamut between their childhoods, stories about their friends, and even their favorite books, albums, and movies. Rick had a running list in his head of authors, movies, and musicians he wanted to track down so that he could know just a little more about what made her tick. Every moment he spent with her made him want...no, need another one.

Their impromptu picnic lasted until she scraped the last crumb of cake off the plate and sighed in satisfaction. Knowing he should probably get her back to the reception before her friends broke their promise and came looking for her, Rick stood up and extended his hand to help her to her feet. The night had become a little chilly and noticing the way she hugged herself for warmth, he picked up his jacket and draped it over her bare shoulders. She smiled gratefully and took his hand as they started walking back. Their evening was coming to an end but he wanted to extend it as long as he possibly could.

"When are you going back to Atlanta?" He asked quietly, trying to hide the growing sadness in his voice.

"Tomorrow", she answered. He nodded and squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"Carol...the caterer...owns a little diner in town with the best sweet potato pancakes in Georgia. Have breakfast with me before you go?" It sounded less like a question and more like a demand, but he wasn't ready for his perfect weekend to end. If she said no, he'd already planned to ask her out again, but it would have to wait until his next weekend without Carl and that was two weeks away. And if she turned him down, he'd resolved himself to keep asking until he got a yes. He just wanted one more day to carry him through how ever long it took before he could see her again.

"You're not tired of me yet?", she asked and he couldn't believe she was serious. He chuckled to himself and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Honestly, I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of you." She pulled herself closer in to his side, wrapping both of her arms around the arm he was using to hold her hand.

"What time do you want me to meet you?" Her question signaled her acceptance and it made him so happy.

"My shift starts at noon so how about 10? That's not too late, is it? I know it's a long drive back to the city..."

"It's fine. All I have waiting for me is laundry and a very demanding cat!"

"You're a cat person?" She groaned and leaned her head against his arm.

"Only when it comes to T'challa...that's his name.", she answered with a laugh and Rick could've sworn he'd heard that name before.

"Why does that name sound familiar…". he asked himself out loud. She sucked the air between he teeth and he felt her shaking her head.

"Probably because it belongs to one to the greatest superheroes ever! Black Panther!" He couldn't help but be amused by the extent of her comic book love. Carl was going to love her. He wouldn't introduce them any time soon, but he was confident of them hitting it off when they finally did meet. He was even more confident that whatever was brewing between them would make it that far.

"That's it! My son can't stop talking about how excited he is for that movie!" She hugged his arm tighter.

"Carl sounds like a smart kid!", she laughed and he focused on the fact that she'd remembered his son's name.

They were almost back to the barn, and Rick could hear the opening strains of a familiar song wafting through the darkness. _The Way You Look Tonight_ sung by Tony Bennett had always been one of his favorite songs, but he knew Jacqui was going to kill it. He stopped walking and looked over at her.

"Dance with me one more time?", he whispered, the emotion in his voice making it sound deeper and rougher. She answered with a slight nod as she slipped her arms through the sleeves of his jacket before turning to wrap them around his neck. His hands found their way to her tiny waist and pulled her in even closer until their bodies were flush. Slowly, they began to sway; his eyes never leaving hers. They were so close that they were sharing the same breath; so close that their two heartbeats blended into one.

Then, she leaned in, resting her head against his cheek, and Rick felt like he'd died and gone to heaven. He closed his eyes and fully pulled her into a tight embrace. He never wanted to let her go. His rational mind was telling him to slow down; but his heart was busy falling in love with the woman in his arms.

The song ended and she started to pull away from him; her hands running down his shoulders to his forearms, stopping only when he didn't release her. He stared down at her; flicking his gaze between her dark eyes and her full lips. He wanted to kiss her so he leaned in slightly and waited for her to give him a sign that she wanted to be kissed. His wis was granted when she bit her bottom lip and smiled as she tilted her head to move in closer. He couldn't stop the grin that burst across his face before he captured her lips with his own and added kissing to the list of the only things he wanted to do when he was around her.

He didn't notice her hands had left his arms until he felt them pressed against the front of his dress shirt and sliding up over his abs and across his chest. They ended up back around his neck and the world faded away around them as she parted her lips, allowing him to deepen their kiss. Her mouth was so warm and she tasted like the chocolate cake they'd shared, mixed with a hint of bitterness from the beer. The low moan that escaped her, spurred him on and he held her tighter to him as the kiss grew in intensity and purpose. She clung to him to the point where he was sure that he was the only thing keeping her upright. Her hands were once again lost in the hair at the back of his neck and with every gentle pull on his curls, the kiss became more fervent. The sound of her pillow soft lips against his and their hurried breathing filled his ears and Rick was quickly losing himself in all of it. From that one kiss, he knew he was a goner. Maybe he'd even known it before then.

It was for the best when she slowly dragged her lips away from his and rested her forehead against his to catch her breath. If it had lasted much longer, he was sure that she would discover just how much he was attracted to her if she didn't know already. He felt like he burning alive from a fire she'd lit deep within him, and breathing deeply to calm himself down wasn't working. When he looked down and saw that she was pretty much in the same condition, he felt even more turned on. He was seriously considering saying to hell with it and kissing her again when slid her arms from around his neck; her hands coming to rest on either side of his face. She stared at him for a moment with a shy smile gracing her lips before giving him one last, gentle kiss. He reached up and took both her hands in his, removing them from his face and reverently kissed them both. They were silent for a moment as the world faded back into focus around them.

There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't think of the right words to express the depth of what he was feeling. It was too much, too heavy, and happening way too fast. He could barely come up with the words to explain it to himself, and for the first time that evening, he didn't know what to say.

"I could get used to this..." she whispered, and he heard the promise of more in her words. To get used to something, you had to keep being around it and hearing her say that she could get used to this...used to him...made him practically jubilant. It also returned his ability to speak.

"Michonne…thank you…", he declared, "…for everything. This date, that kiss, being you…all of it." She shyly looked away for a moment and when their eyes met again, he saw nothing but happiness in her chocolate depths.

"I had…the best…night with you too", she agreed. He noticed that guests were starting to trickle out of the barn, signaling him that the party was starting to wind down.

"It's gettin' late. I should probably get going. I have a double shift tomorrow."

"Go. Get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning." Even though he knew that sleep probably wasn't on the agenda that night, he nodded. He was all amped up and there was no way he'd be able to calm down enough to sleep. Afraid to start something he couldn't finish, he leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"Good night, Michonne." Reluctantly, he let go of her hands and started to back away.

"Good night, Rick." Neither of them moved and he took that to mean that she wanted their night to continue just as much as he did. As much as Rick wanted to go back over to her, he knew he couldn't, so finally he just grinned at her. "I can't leave until you go back in…", his mirthful complaining drawing an easy laugh from her.

"I know…I'm going…" Slowly, she turned and headed toward the barn doors. She was almost there when she spun around with wide eyes. "Rick! Your jacket…"

"Bring it to me in the morning!" That brilliant smile of hers brightened her entire face as she pulled it tighter around her before she disappeared through the barn doors. Knowing she was safely inside with her friends, he turned to walk toward his truck. His face hurt from smiling so much over the last few hours and that thought made him smile even more. He pulled his keys out of pocket as he reached his truck door and started counting the minutes until he would see her again.

Please Review!


	3. You Are The Best Thing

**A/N: I'm overwhelmed by the response to this little story. Thank you to all my reviewers, follows, and faves! It means more than you know!**

 **A few notes first: one of you awesome reviewers pointed out that my math was bad regarding Rick's age and thank you because math is not my thing. I made some changes to the previous chapters to update Rick's age (38) and his job (sergeant instead of deputy). He and Lori were still high school sweethearts married for 15 years, but they didn't get married until they were about 23.**

 **One last chapter with Rick's POV before we find out where Michonne's head is at…even though you will have a pretty good idea after this! :)**

 **Inspired by: You Are the Best Thing by Ray LaMontagne**

Rick was in such a good mood that he was actually whistling when he walked into the Crispy Biscuit. The diner wasn't that busy, but a few patrons greeted him with smiles and "Mornin' Sergeant Grimes…" as he passed their tables and he returned the gesture. He stopped at the counter where Carol was looking at register receipts.

"Mornin' Carol. Quiet in here today."

"Mornin' Officer Friendly. You just missed the rush. Most everybody in town is already at Sunday school."

"I guess I timed it just right!" She nodded, finally giving him her full attention.

"Looks that way…you're in a good mood this morning…" He smiled and gave her a small shrug.

"Aren't I always in a good mood?" Carol's eyebrow shot up so fast that even he couldn't miss it.

"I think you already know the answer to that…" Rick nodded regretfully as the memory of many a morning he'd come into the diner, barked his order to her, and left without so much as a good morning, flashed through his mind. He'd been in a bad place after everything happened with Lori and again when she up and moved to Atlanta. The only time he behaved like a human being was when he had Carl.

"Yeah…I think things may finally be turning around…" Carol smiled and gently slapped his arm.

"Glad to hear it! So…bacon, egg, and cheese on toast and a large coffee with room for cream and sugar to-go, right?" He shook his head and glanced toward the front of the diner hoping to catch Michonne coming in. He'd left her less than 12 hours ago but it felt like much longer. So long that he wasn't sure how he was going to survive the days after she left to go back to Atlanta. But he didn't want to think about that. All he wanted to think about was enjoying the time he had with her.

"Not today. I need a table for two…the owner has you working hostess and takin' orders?" Carol looked up at him over the rim of her glasses and sighed deeply.

"Amy is on her way but as the owner, I have to be ready to do everything, right?"

"That sounds about right. Why are you so shorthanded?", he asked. That question made her roll her eyes and slam her pencil down.

"Diane called in sick…even though I saw her drunk off her ass at the reception last night…so tell Shane he's not going to be able to flirt his way out of paying his check today."

"I'll tell him, but Shane isn't the person I'm having breakfast with."

"Well, well…it wouldn't happen to be the woman you were kissing at the reception last night, would it?"

"You saw that?" He knew he was blushing; a habit he didn't know he had until he started doing it whenever he was with Michonne or talking about Michonne.

"I didn't see it but apparently Myra Bassett did, making you the talk of the before church crowd this morning." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't realize that me kissing someone would be front page news…" Carol only shrugged and continued cleaning off the counter.

"It's a small town and according to Myra, you two were basically humping each other in front of God and everybody." His eyes grew wide at that insinuation. He didn't expect any less from Myra Bassett though. Her husband Leon was a deputy on the force and every interaction he had with them told him two things: neither of them were the brightest crayons in the box and they were perfect for each other.

"Jesus, that's not…" There was a hint of anger in his tone, not for himself but more for the possibility that people might look at Michonne badly because of Myra's exaggeration.

"I know that! But if you get some strange looks while you're on patrol today, you know why."

"Just wonderful." Carol just shrugged and smiled at him over the rim of her glasses.

"It's not that bad. They'll be talking about something else after church and besides…I think your date is here." He turned around just in time to see her walking past the window and he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Anybody that puts a smile like that on your face is ok by me. I'm going to get your table ready."

He didn't hear Carol or notice that she'd walked away. He was intent on watching Michonne enter the diner. She looked so different than she had the night before; wearing black jeans, a plain red v neck t-shirt underneath a black blazer, and a pair of red Chuck Taylors on her feet. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the only makeup she wore was red lipstick. She didn't need anything else. She was beautiful in anything.

She blinded him with her smile as soon as she saw him standing there and he was drawn to her like a magnet, so he took a few steps forward to meet her.

"Mornin'…", he greeted, before planting a lingering kiss on her cheek. "You look amazing, as always…"

"Good Morning…" He noticed her eyes tracing him from head to toe and her attention made him stand a little straighter and puff out his chest a little bit.

"See something you like?", he flirted. She grinned and gave him a slight nod.

"It's just that I've never seen you like this and you make that uniform look real good, Sergeant." He snickered under his breath as her took her hand and led her toward the table that Carol was standing next to.

"I think you might be delirious from hunger. C'mon, let's get you fed." They slid into opposite sides of the booth and Carol placed their menus in front of them. There were already two glasses of water, a coffee carafe, and a bowl of creamer waiting for them.

"Welcome to the Crispy Biscuit Diner!", she greeted. As soon as they were settled, Rick gestured to Michonne and began the introductions.

"Carol, this is Michonne. She's a friend of Maggie's new husband, in town for the wedding", he explained, as Carol wrapped Michonne's hand in a warm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Michonne…" Rick smiled and turned back to Michonne.

"Carol owns this place and she catered the reception last night." He watched as his date's eyes grew wide.

"Oh my god…everything was delicious but I have to tell you, I dreamed about that chocolate cake last night! It was to die for!" Her praise drew a loud laugh from Carol.

"Thank you…now I know what happened to that piece Rick stole from me last night." He couldn't believe his so-called friend had thrown him under the bus like that.

"I didn't steal it, you gave it to me!", he exclaimed, contesting her version of events, but Carol only shook her head and smiled conspiratorially at Michonne.

"Only because you were acting like it'd be the end of the world if I didn't!" Rick didn't have a comeback for that one. In all honesty, he had been a little dramatic the night before when he'd barged into the area where Carol was prepping everything begging for chocolate cake like it was a winning lottery ticket. He pulled his attention away from Carol when he noticed Michonne cheekily smiling at him.

"So it wasn't because of your connections as the law in this town?", she teased. He knew there was no point in defending himself so he raised his hands in defeat and glared at Carol.

"Thanks for sellin' me out, friend."

"You're welcome…friend…", she replied; the hint of teasing in her voice matching Michonne's. "I'm gonna give you two a chance to look at the menu unless you already know what you want…" Michonne definitively closed her menu and handed it back toward Carol.

"Rick tells me that this place has the best sweet potato pancakes in the state of Georgia, so I would be remiss if I didn't give them a try." Carol nodded and took the menu from Michonne's hand.

"You won't be disappointed! Do you want the whole platter?" Michonne answered with a happy nod.

"Of course! Can I get my eggs scrambled with cheese and some bacon please?" Rick couldn't hold back his smile at the way Michonne got so excited about food. The night before, watching her eat that cake turned him on more than he thought it would. It was something about the way she seemed to savor it; the little moans of pleasure that escaped her mouth after every bite…the way she slid the fork through her full, beautiful lips…

"Rick?" Carol's voice brought him out of his reverie and he noticed that both women were looking at him with amused little grins like they knew where his thoughts had gone. Feeling slightly embarrassed, and hoping he was wrong, Rick quickly closed his menu and handed it to Carol.

"I'll have the same, just eggs over hard please."

"Coming right up", Carol answered with a wink as she swiped the menu from him and headed off toward the kitchen.

"She seems nice…" Rick glanced over at Carol who was chatting with customers at another table.

"Carol? Yeah, she is. She moved back to town a few years ago after her husband died. Carl and her daughter Sophia are as thick as thieves."

"Aww…I'm sure he misses her.", she sympathized and he nodded. Every time he spoke to his son, there was always something said about not being able to see his friends. Rick hated it but there was nothing he could do about it. According to the judge, Lori wasn't that far away and in this case, there was no reason to separate a child from his mother.

"He does but this weekend is her birthday so at least he gets to be here for the party…which reminds me that I need to ask Carl what he wants to get her."

"Sounds like you have some shopping to do!" Rick shrugged and folded his hands on the table in front of him.

"Yeah…I don't know when I'll get to it though. I have extra shifts most of the week."

"What department are you in?", she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I'm in the criminal investigations unit. There's not too much crime around here but you'd be surprised at how busy we are."

"Is that why they have you working all these extra shifts?" He shook his head and busied himself with putting cream and sugar in his coffee.

"No…since Lori…my ex…moved to Atlanta, I have Carl every other weekend and I don't want to be working when he's here. I pick up the extra shifts so I can have those weekends off."

"You do realize that you are entirely too perfect, right?" He brushed off her compliment with a short laugh.

"I'm sure my ex would disagree…" Michonne opened her mouth to say something but visibly caught herself and paused before starting to speak.

"No comment on that…but everything I've seen tells me otherwise and one thing we both know is to always trust the evidence", she grinned. He drank some of his coffee and shifted a little in his seat.

"Present your evidence, counselor…", he challenged. She raised an eyebrow and smirked a little and he watched as she went into lawyer mode.

"Well…exhibit A is the way you talk about your son like the sun rises and sets in him. Exhibit B is just…you…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on! Humility is great but you have to know how attractive you are!" He opens his mouth to respond, but she kept talking. "Finally, exhibit C is the romantic as hell impromptu first date you managed to pull off last night."

"So…what you're telling me is that last night wasn't all in my head." She reached across the table and covered her hand with his; smiling sweetly as she wove their fingers together.

"No…it was real", she whispered, and his hand tightened around hers.

"Good because I woke up this morning and my memories of last night seemed too good to be true." She tilted her head to one side and looked at him like she was trying to decipher something about him.

"I woke up thinking you were a figment of my imagination until I saw your jacket hanging on the back of the door." Their eyes locked in another one of their heated stares and Rick looked away quickly, afraid that she might see how affected he was by her and get scared away. He decided to lighten the tone a little bit and her raised his eyebrows at her

"Speaking of which…"

"It's in the car…and I was thinking about stealing it but if I did that, I'd never get to see you wear it again…" she confessed and he had to laugh at how cute she looked. He couldn't resist playing with her a little.

"…and it would be a misdemeanor under Georgia code 16-8-12 and I'd hate to have to arrest you." Her mouth fell open for a second and she gasped theatrically.

"You wouldn't dare!" He shrugged and gave her a wink.

"If it would keep you in town for a little bit longer, you couldn't blame me for trying." Her laugh was contagious and before he knew it, he was laughing too.

"Aww…that's the first time anyone's ever threatened me with arrest to keep me around! Whoever says romance is dead obviously hasn't met Rick Grimes!" She was looking at him with her wide, dark eyes that were glistening with laughing tears and it made his heart beat a little faster. He knew he probably had some kind of goofy expression on his face as he watched her, but he didn't care. He was completely taken with her. She stopped laughing and just stared at him with her eyes shining. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Like what?" He asked innocently.

"I don't know…like you're amazed by me or something…" He smiled and tilted his head to one side as he kept his eyes trained on her.

"Because I am. You said I'm too perfect, but you…you're the kind of woman guys dream about and you're sittin' here with me. It's pretty amazing." He leaned forward enough to bring their entwined hands up to his lips to leave a kiss on her wrist and he loved the dreamy smile that appeared on her face as a result.

"Rick…I…" Before she could finish her thought, Carol appeared with their food. Inwardly, Rick cursed her timing but outwardly he smiled and reluctantly let go of Michonne's hand to make room for their plates.

"Dig in! If you need anything let me know." She said as she efficiently dropped off the plates and left them to their breakfast. They both thanked her before turning their attention to their breakfast. From the awestruck look on Michonne's face, he knew that they wouldn't get back to their conversation until after she tasted those pancakes. He raised an eyebrow and unwrapped his silverware and started digging in to his eggs.

"You look like a kid on Christmas! Go on…taste them!" He shoved his first bite into his mouth and grinned at her as she spread butter and syrup all over her pancakes. After they met her specifications, she took a bite and Rick thought he saw her eyes roll in pleasure. "Well?", he asked with a slight chuckle. She started nodding and immediately began cutting up the rest of her pancakes.

"Now these are just too damn perfect!" Her joy was infectious and he couldn't stop smiling as he went back to eating.

"I told you!"

"And you were so right!" Her expression of joy was replaced by one of frustration for a quick second but it quickly vanished when she took another bite. "After this weekend, I'm going to be living on the elliptical for a while, but it's worth it!"

"Are you one of those people who lives at the gym?", he asked. As a cop, Rick had to spend time in the gym but he'd never been a fan. He'd rather go running or play a sport than lift weights or use the exercise machines. But he already knew that if she was a gym rat, he'd find it in himself to be there with her any chance he could.

"No…", she answered with a shake of her head. "I just really like to eat…obviously…and I have to do something to keep it from showing. I prefer other types of workouts but I haven't had time lately."

"Like what?" He was relieved by her answer but intrigued to hear what her workout entailed.

"I did Krav Maga for a while...then barre...I think my favorite was the Kendo class I took. It's a form of Japanese stick fighting. It was awesome! I felt like a samurai!" Blown away by her choices of workout activities, Rick leaned back in his seat and nodded appreciatively. He now had an explanation for her soft yet firm body that he'd had the pleasure of having in his arms the night before.

"Note to self, never get on your bad side…", he said jokingly but he was really only half joking.

"Yeah, I'd hate to have to kick your ass", she deadpanned, but her cute little smile belied her true intent.

"Oh you already did that. I may never recover." He waited for one her quick responses but one didn't come. He laughed to himself when he realized that he was completely refocused on her breakfast.

"…I'm sorry. Usually I'd have something witty to come back at you with, but these pancakes are everything right now! It's taking all of my brain cells to comprehend how delicious they are!" The laugh erupted from him so suddenly that he almost choked on his food.

"I'm glad you're enjoyin' them!", he said after getting himself back together. She raised an eyebrow at him and took a long sip of her coffee which he noticed that she like with more cream and sugar than coffee.

"I am…I'm also enjoying spending time with you." He loved hearing her say it but he couldn't resist picking with her a little bit.

"Yeah? More or less than the pancakes?" He fork paused in midair as she pretended to seriously consider his question.

"At this exact moment…", she began, as a hint of mischievousness crept into her eyes causing Rick to shake his head at her playfully.

"Nevermind!", he laughed, turning back to his plate and trying to focus on eating.

XX

They kept the conversation light as they ate, both happy with the food and the company. Amy came by to collect their plates and drop off the check when they finished eating and they enjoyed what was left of the coffee.

Rick nervously tapped his fingers against his mug because he knew their time together was quickly drawing to a close. He couldn't let her leave town without knowing when he would see her again. He cleared his throat and looked up at her.

"Now that I'm no longer competing with those pancakes, I was wondering when I can see you again. Like I said, I have Carl this weekend but I could drive into the city to take him to his mom instead of meeting her halfway on Sunday…if you're free." Her coffee mug was at her lips but it couldn't hide the smile threatening to overtake her features.

"I'm free", she answered and a slow smile spread across his face as his eyes fell back to his coffee in an attempt to hide how happy that made him.

"Great…"

"I'll text you my address…just let me know when you're on the way."

"Ok…" He looked up and over Michonne's shoulder, he caught a glimpse of the last person he wanted to see right then. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" He quickly gave her an apologetic smile as he watched the person stop at the counter to speak to Carol before looking his way.

"I'm gonna apologize to you now for anything that may happen in the next few minutes…" Michonne wrinkled her eyebrows in obvious confusion. "Just…don't judge me based on my friends, ok?"

"Huh?" Rick sighed nervously as Shane approached their table. He and Shane had been friends for most of their lives and now they were partners on the force. He loved the man like a brother but Shane had a habit of saying whatever fool thing that popped in his head. He sauntered up to the table and slid into the booth next to Rick like the seat was being saved for him.

"So this is why you ain't answerin' my texts!"

"Good morning to you too, Shane." His friend's look of annoyance changed into something else completely when he focused on the woman on the other side of the booth. Rick frowned as Shane's lips curled into a roguish grin.

"Well, well…so this is the woman I've heard so much about this morning! I knew I should've gone to that wedding…" Rick couldn't help but notice that the confusion that had settled into Michonne's features was gone; replaced by one of extreme amusement. It was almost like she'd already mentally assessed Shane and was waiting for the inevitable show to begin.

"Michonne Pierce, this is my partner Shane Walsh," he introduced…almost reluctantly. He felt Shane nudge his in the ribs.

"Partner?! Shit, boy, you better tell her the truth! Rick and me have been friends since we were 5! We're brothers!" While Shane never looked at him, Rick could picture the shit-eating grin he wore as he watched Michonne. She only laughed and extended her hand toward Shane who met it eagerly. "Very pleased to meet you, Michonne…the talk of King County!"

"You too, Shane…I've only been in town three days. How could people be talking about me?"

"Well…when you show up to town and take the second most eligible bachelor off the market in those three days, it's bound to cause a little bit of a ruckus!"

"Second most eligible?"

"After me of course." Rick couldn't hide his snort at Shane's proclamation.

"More like most ineligible bachelor…" he grumbled, but Shane didn't notice and he leaned back in the booth with his arms folded behind his head.

"Now I see why the ladies are so pissed! They don't stand a chance with you around…not that they ever had a chance anyway. Ol' Sergeant Grimes here was never going to give any of 'em the time of day even after being presented with multiple offers…"

"Shane…", Rick warned, hoping Shane would hear the seriousness in his voice and tone down his talk. He knew that was just wishful thinking when Shane fixed him with his patented rascally look.

"What? I'm only explainin' to your girl here all the reasons why she's the talk of the town." Shane turned back to Michonne with his cocky grin firmly in place and Rick groaned as he kept right on talking. "You gonna be in town a while, Miss Michonne?"

"No…I'm leaving for Atlanta as soon as we're done here. I have work tomorrow."

"Aw hell! That means he's gonna go back to being his grouchy ass self...What do you do in Atlanta?"

"I'm an assistant district attorney working mostly special victims", she answered.

"Nice...we lock em up and you put em away!" Rick paused at that piece of information. He knew that special victims cases were tough and he wasn't sure if he could deal with that day in and day out…especially in a city like Atlanta. It took a special person to work that detail and not be made cynical by it; but Michonne was about as far from cynical as you could get. She was probably a beacon of hope for the victims and their families and he smiled to himself at the thought. He was overwhelmed by her and the more he learned about her only strengthened his belief that she was about as close to perfect as a human being could get.

He didn't realized that he had spaced out of the conversation until Shane hit him again and he saw that both of them were looking at him with matching curious expressions. Michonne didn't look like she wanted to murder Shane and he didn't look like he was about to die, so Rick had to assume that he hadn't missed anything too earth shattering. But seeing that it was already nearly 11:30, spurred him to get rid of Shane as soon as possible.

"Shane, do you think you can give us a few minutes? Michonne has to get on the road and I'll see you at the station." Shane gave him that sly smile of his and nodded slowly.

"I was wonderin' how long it would take him to get rid of my ass and it looks like that's my cue…" He turned back to Michonne and tipped his hat in her direction as he slid out of the booth. "My breakfast is probably ready anyway. It was good meetin' you, Michonne. I hope we'll see you around town again real soon!"

"You too, Shane!" She gave him one of those smiles of hers before he turned to go over to the counter where Carol was waiting with a paper bag. "Well isn't he fun?"

"He's something alright…"

"I know you were just getting rid of him but I really do need to get on the road…"

"I know." Rick pulled out his wallet and left a tip for Carol on the table before getting out of the booth and extending a gentlemanly hand to Michonne partially to help her up but mostly to just touch her as much as possible while he could. He held her hand as they walked up to the counter to settle the bill. He noticed her reaching for her purse and he only raised an eyebrow at her in a silent challenge. There was no way in hell he was going to let her pay and if they had to have their first argument to prove his point so be it.

She must have noticed the look on his face because she rolled her eyes and moved her hand away from her purse. He snickered at their silent conversation as he paid Carol and they all said their goodbyes.

He was still holding her hand when they walked out onto the sidewalk and she led him to where she'd parked; stopping in front of a mid-sized, black Range Rover. He only let go of her when she told him she needed to get his jacket. He watched as she pulled it from the passenger seat and walked back over to him. As soon as she handed it to him, he noticed that it smelled like her and he suddenly had no plans to take it to the cleaners any time soon.

They stood there in silence for a moment, neither of them too eager to say goodbye.

"I guess this is goodbye for now…", her words breaking the silence and nudging them closer to her imminent departure. Rick felt himself twisting the jacket in his hands as he struggled with how to tell her goodbye.

"Yeah…let me know you made it home safe." She nodded and reached over to give his free hand a squeeze.

"I will…I promise." He tangled his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand back.

"Bye Michonne."

"Bye Rick…be safe this week." He heard the hint of worry in her voice and the jacket he held was quickly forgotten and it fell to the ground as he gently placed his hands on either side of her face and brushed his thumbs against her cheeks. They hadn't talked about he inherent danger involved with his work, but her work gave her a front row seat to it so she already knew. He didn't want her to worry but it was part of the job and something that came with being involved with him. He felt her arms move around his waist and he gave her his best reassuring smile.

"I always am." She looked up at him; her eyes locking with his in silence for a moment. Then she smiled, and moved in a little closer.

"Good…because I think I might be falling for you…" Those whispered words and the look of wonder and sincerity in her eyes as she said them, made his heart flutter. Even though he knew without a doubt that he'd already fallen for her, he decided to save that declaration for a day when they had more time together.

"That's perfect because I think I might be falling for you too." He said, his voice low and husky. She was wearing a wide, brilliant smile as he pulled her in for a kiss. Her lips were warm against his as they moved together slowly. Her fingers moved across his back sending darts of desire racing throughout his body. It spurred him to pull her even closer, increasing the pressure and deepening the kiss. Their breath mingled as her lips parted beneath his offering him access to fully explore her mouth which he readily accepted.

Having her in his arms like that was stoking a fire in him; stirring things up that he couldn't honestly say he'd felt before. They were standing on the sidewalk in King County on a Sunday morning and that kiss was quickly escalating to the heights of Myra Bassett's exaggerations. He felt himself getting too carried away and her warmth and willingness was only fanning the flames.

Regretfully, Rick dragged his hands away from her face and down to her slender neck, reveling in the silky softness of her skin, and forced his lips to leave the comfort of hers. He opened his eyes to find her full lips flushed and swollen, and swirls of emotion dancing in her deep brown eyes.

"You know…you are really good at that", she whispered as she took an unsteady step backwards. He laughed and he let reluctantly allowed her to leave the haven of his arms.

"I just needed to make sure it would last me until next Sunday."

"Thanks, now I'm going to have that kiss distracting me all week!" He leaned down and retrieved his jacket from where it had fallen.

"Me too…bye Michonne."

"Bye, Rick…don't forget to ask Carl about the gift!" She kept amazing him with how interested she was in his life even down to remembering that he needed to get a birthday gift for his son's friend.

"I won't!" She moved back over to her car and opened the door, giving him one last lingering look before climbing inside. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and watched as the car door closed, it's engine roaring to life before she pulled out of the parking spot and drove away.

He stood there staring after her car until it faded from view. He was surprised that he didn't feel sad that she was leaving. Instead, he was left with an overwhelming feeling of excitement at the promise of seeing her again.

Shane stepped out of the diner carrying a paper bag and a soda and paused next to him.

"You good?" Shane's tone was casual, but Rick heard the worry hidden behind the words and he didn't blame him for being concerned. He'd just witnessed his best friend who'd been teetering on the ledge for months watch as the woman who'd changed everything drove back to Atlanta.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm seeing her again next week." Shane nodded and started walking toward the station.

"She's gorgeous…seems sweet too."

"She's…amazing", Rick agreed falling into step next to his friend. Shane glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and even from the side, Rick recognized the sly grin on Shane's lips.

"My only question is…how the hell did you pull her?" Rick shrugged. He'd been constantly asking himself that question ever since the moment she agreed to be his wedding date.

"I don't know. I just got lucky, I guess." Shane grunted and took a sip of his drink.

"Man, you must be the luckiest sonofabitch in southwest Georgia!" That was a fact that Rick couldn't argue with.

"Probably."

"Just for clarification, when I said you needed to get back out there, I meant for you to go get laid! I didn't mean for you fall in love with the first one!" The accusation hit him harder that it should have. He'd known her less than 36 hours. Sure, he liked her…a lot…but it would be ridiculous to say that he was in love with her…

"I'm not…" Shane didn't even let him finish.

"Bullshit! We've known each other too long for you to even attempt that lie with me! You are so gone and you ain't even got none yet!"

"Shut up, Shane. C'mon…we gotta get to work…"

Much later, as he sat at his desk going over case files, Rick felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and was excited to have received a new message from Michonne. He quickly opened it and smiled when he saw a selfie of her with an adorable black cat.

 **Michonne: I'm home! I told T'Challa about you. He's very disappointed that he's not the only man in my life anymore!**

Shane's words from earlier about him already being in love with her echoed in his head. If Shane saw him right then, as a goofy smile danced across his lips from just seeing a picture of her, he'd never believe that he wasn't in love with her already. In that moment, Rick wasn't even sure himself but that was an admission for another time. He wrote her back almost immediately.

 **Rick: Glad you're home safe. Tell T'Challa I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to share you either.**

 **A/N: So that ends their weekend together! Please review!**


	4. Halo

**A/N: Sorry for the delay with this installment. I've been traveling a lot for work lately and time to write has been difficult to come by. Hopefully, now that things have slightly calmed down, I should be able to get back on track! Thank you to all of my follows, faves, and reviewers! You guys rock! I'm constantly amazed by the positive reaction to this story! I love the feedback and it really inspires me to keep going with this. :)**

 **Halo**

 **Inspired by: "Halo" by Beyonce**

 **Monday**

Michonne always had a hard time coming back to work after a long weekend, but coming back to work after having one of the best weekends of her life was something all together different. She'd finally made it into her office after getting a late start due to laying in bed thinking about Rick for 40 minutes after her alarm went off. Now that she was there, she was finding it very difficult to concentrate leaving her thanking God that she didn't have court that day.

It wasn't just her mind sabotaging her day. The sky reminded her of his crystal blue eyes. The barista at Starbucks had a sprinkling of salt and pepper stubble on his face just like Rick had the night they met. The radio was playing one of the songs they'd danced to at the reception. She'd walked into her building and was surrounded by men in sheriff's department uniforms; none making it look as good as Rick did. It was almost like everything around her had conspired to make sure she couldn't get him off her mind. Not that she really wanted to.

"Michonne! Are you even listening to me?" Andrea's stern tone startled her out of her thoughts and Michonne saw the way her friend was looking at her and she knew she was in for it. Andrea Wade was another ADA in her office and one of her dearest friends. It hadn't always been that way. Andrea had treated her like competition instead of a collaborator for months after she started working there. Until one day they were signed to work a particularly tough case together. Over months of trial prep filled with late nights and early mornings, they became friends and three years later, they were nearly inseparable.

She watched as Andrea tucked a stray lock of her blond hair behind her ear and raised an expertly arched eyebrow as she waited for her to acknowledge that question. Michonne sat up straighter in her chair and picked up her fork.

"Of course I'm listening!" Andrea rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

"What was the last thing I said?" Michonne groaned and stabbed at the salad she'd ordered as an apology to her body for all of the rich food she'd indulged in all weekend.

"Really, Andrea? Are you really going to make me recite our conversation?"

"You have absolutely no idea, do you?" With a resigned sigh, she gave up the ghost and offered her guilty shrug.

"Fine! I'm sorry! I spaced out for a second there." Michonne observed the victorious smile that crept across Andrea's face as she went back to eating, and readied herself for the Wade version of the Inquisition.

"Must've been some wedding if you're still hungover…" She immediately shook her head in denial.

"You should've cancelled your plans and come to the wedding! We missed you there."

"Like I could! It was my parent's 40th Wedding anniversary! I still don't understand why they moved the wedding up…and stop trying to change the subject from you being hungover!" Andrea was right; she was trying to redirect the conversation and she should've known that she wouldn't be able to do that to another lawyer.

"I'm not hungover! I'm just…tired." Andrea narrowed her eyes and tilted her head disbelievingly.

"Why do I get the feeling you're lying to me?"

"Because you're a born skeptic", Michonne replied with a laugh. She also knew that she wouldn't be able to distract Andrea for long and she just wasn't ready to talk about Rick yet. She dramatically glanced at her watch before continuing, "Don't you have a 12:30 hearing? You'd better get moving…"

"Shit! Thanks!" She watched as Andrea practically jumped out of her seat and began smoothing the navy blue power suit she was wearing. She gathered up the remnants of her lunch and headed over to the door before glancing back to Michonne. "…and I'm not going to forget about this! You're definitely hiding something…"

"Don't you have Judge Monroe? You know how she is about starting on time…" Andrea rolled her eyes and walked backwards out of the office.

"This isn't over, Michonne!", she yelled. Michonne laughed to herself and wiggled her fingers at her.

"Bye Andrea!" Grinning to herself, she resumed eating her lunch and asking herself why she hadn't just ordered the slice of pizza she really wanted. She probably would've grabbed her purse to go back downstairs to get a new lunch if the Star Wars theme hadn't alerted her that someone was calling her.

"Pierce", she announced, as she brought the phone to her ear without looking to see who it was. There was a slight pause before she was greeted by the deep, drawl that sent shivers through her body and made her drop her fork.

"Michonne?" She nervously cleared her throat and started straightening her clothes like he could somehow see her through the phone. _Be cool, Michonne. Just be cool…_

"Rick…hi…" She jumped up and quickly made her way over to close her office door. It was an unwritten rule in the office that when doors were closed, the person inside was not to be bothered and the last thing she wanted was for someone to interrupt the call she didn't even realize she needed until she heard his voice.

"Hey…are you busy? If you are, I can call back…" She was shaking her head for a good three seconds before she remembered…again…that he couldn't see her.

"No! I mean…I'm just having lunch. Are you at work?"

"Not yet. I got home a little after 5, slept for a little while, now I'm on my way back." She and Andrea always went down for lunch early to beat the crowd so she glanced at her watch again and realized that it was almost noon.

"Not another double, I hope…" She understood why he was doing it and she admired him for it, but she couldn't help but worry about his wellbeing.

"No. Normal shift today but it's gonna be a long week. I'm not complaining though. I'll have the whole weekend with Carl...and time for you on Sunday." Grinning, she sank into her chair and turned to stare out the window at the city.

"I'm looking forward to that." It was probably the most true thing she'd said all day and the weight of that admission scared her a little bit. She'd only known the man on the other end of the line a few days but she already felt like there was something different between them.

"Me too…so how's your day going, counselor?" His gravelly voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she refocused on their conversation.

"It's good...better now that I'm talking to you."

"Is that right?" The hint of teasing in his voice made the smile she already wore grow even wider.

"Yep. In fact, I'm sitting at my desk smiling like an idiot right now."

"Well…if we're confessin' things…I'm sitting in my truck outside the station doing the same thing." He was in just as deep as she was and that thought made her feel warm all over.

"Good to know I'm not the only dork in this relationship!" His low laugh filled the silence between them and she loved the sound.

"Relationship, huh? I like the way that sounds." When she closed her eyes, she could picture the wide, satisfied grin she knew had spread across his face at her words. She shook her head at how happy his happiness made her.

"I think two dates with the promise of a third meets the minimum requirements of a relationship."

"Darlin', we've been in a relationship in my mind since the minute I saw you." That unabashed confidence he'd displayed when he'd asked her out the first time bled into his words and it turned her on just as much as it had then.

"What are you doing to me," she asked in a husky whisper; more to herself than to him. There was a short pause before he cleared his throat and spoke.

"I could ask you the same question. You've been on my mind since the minute you drove out of here. I can't stop thinking about you…not that I want to."

"Same here…" Before she could gather her thoughts enough to form a coherent reply, she was interrupted by a male voice with a deep accent that immediately recognized as Shane's.

"Rick! Get your twitterpated ass in here so we can get to work! Hey, Michonne!"

"Hi, Shane…" She laughed at irritated look she just knew was on Rick's face but her laughter faded as soon as she realized that she really had to say goodbye. "Sounds like you have to go…"

"Yeah…" The hesitation in his voice amplified her desire to keep him on the phone but she knew she couldn't do that.

"Be safe, Rick."

"I always am. Talk to you later?" Even though he had to know that they were definitely going to talk again, his hopeful undertone made it even more difficult to hang up.

"Sooner is better."

"Always…bye Michonne."

"Bye." She hit the end button on her phone and inhaled deeply. Something about that man made it hard to breathe even when they weren't in the same room. As Michonne continued to stare at the city outside her window, she couldn't help but wonder how she was going to survive the days until she saw him again.

 **XX**

 **Wednesday**

"Ok, Spill!" Michonne looked up from her phone and was met with Andrea's irritated stare. She was sitting at Antonio's for Wine Wednesday with Andrea waiting for Maggie and Sasha to arrive. She slipped her phone into her purse and picked up her wine glass.

"What are you talking about, Andrea?"

"Ever since you got back from Glenn's wedding, you've been floating around the office like you're on a goddamn cloud! And...you're always texting! You never text!" Andrea was on to her, but Michonne still wasn't quite ready to tell her about the weekend she'd spent in King County with one very handsome cop. The whole weekend still felt like a dream and the only way she knew it wasn't was through the texts and phone calls they'd been exchanging over the last few days. Every time she heard the ringtone she'd given him, her stomach would do little flips and her heart would skip a beat.

Michonne took a sip of her wine and smiled at her friend.

"I'm happy! Aren't I allowed to be happy?"

"Of course you are, but you're hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is!"

"Hey, y'all!" She looked up to see Maggie and Sasha walking toward the table. Michonne was surprised to see Maggie. Even though the honeymoon was scheduled for after the school year ended, she was sure Maggie would be spending every free moment with her new husband. She was glad to see her though and showed as much when she greeted her with a warm hug before turning and greeting Sasha with the same.

"Hey Maggie…hey Sasha!" Both women settled into their seats and ordered their drinks. As they settled in, they shared details about their lives. Wine Wednesday had become a weekly ritual every since they'd all become so close and they'd spent many a night talking about everything under the sun over multiple glasses of wine. It had been their place to celebrate when Maggie had announced her engagement, when Sasha passed the EMT exam and met her boyfriend Abe, and when she and Andrea won big cases. As Michonne listened to Maggie gush about life as a newlywed and Sasha describing her nervousness about introducing Abe to her family for the first time, she was reminded of all the reasons why wine night was about more than just wine.

"So did Michonne tell you about her boyfriend?" Michonne glared at Sasha as Andrea turned to her with her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a half smirk.

"I knew it! Who's the guy?"

"His name is Rick and he's a cop in King County…"

"King County? Seriously? No offense, Maggie." Maggie's green eyes sparkled happily and she laughed at Andrea's comment.

"None taken. It's slim pickings down there especially after Michonne scooped up one of the last good ones left!"

"Yeah and the man is fine!" Sasha chimed in. "Even I was distracted by that sexy, bowlegged walk of his. I had to look away before Abe caught me staring!" Michonne felt her cheeks grow warm. Yes, she'd taken note of that walk and found it to be just as hot as Sasha described. Andrea turned back to her with an open mouthed stare.

"Did you meet him at the wedding?" There was a hint of disbelief in Andrea's voice and Michonne was sure it had something to do with the fact that it had never been her m.o. to just go out with guys willy nilly. She'd always been the build a friendship first type but Rick had completely blown that out of the water.

"No, I met him at a restaurant the night before, we talked for a little while, and then he asked me to be his date for the wedding." Andrea laughed to herself and brought her wine glass to her lips.

"He must be smooth as hell to get you to accept that offer!"

"He's…" A litany of words like kind, funny, confident, genuine, attentive, and magnetic ran through her mind before she finally settled on one. "…sweet."

"…And sexy as all hell!" Sasha added. "Every woman at that wedding, single or otherwise, was checking him out but he only had eyes for Michonne."

"I so need to see what this guy looks like…" Almost at Andrea's command, Maggie pulled out her phone and began scrolling through the photos.

"I've been meaning to send you this, Michonne. We got some of the pictures from the photographer and this one was an unexpected gem!" Maggie held her phone up revealing a photo of Michonne and Rick. Michonne didn't even remember the picture being taken, but it was at the reception and she was pressed into Rick's chest and both of them were smiling into the camera. She couldn't help the way her eyes were drawn to Rick. He looked so happy; his cheeks bore a slightly pink hue and his crystal blue eyes sparkled with joy. Seeing the sightly greying stubble on his cheeks reminded her of they way it felt against her skin and beneath her fingertips. She smiled wistfully as the memory of their kisses came flooding back.

"You two look so wonderful together!" Maggie was gushing and Michonne couldn't stop smiling. Andrea snatched the phone from Maggie's hand and carefully inspected the photo.

"Damn, he is fine!" Sasha nodded at Andrea's appraisal and took a long sip from her wine glass.

"Told you!" Andrea handed the phone back to Maggie.

"What's this guy's story?" Maggie pressed a few buttons on her phone before setting in on the table and turning her attention back to Andrea.

"Well, I don't know him well. He was a few years ahead of me in school. I do know that he was married until his wife left him for another guy. My daddy says Rick was pretty torn up about it for a long time, but he's a good man and a good father."

"…and Michonne has already got him wrapped around her little finger!"

"Guys, I don't think…"

"From the way she's been acting all week, I'd say the feeling is mutual…" Michonne felt her face grow hot and she averted her eyes so she wouldn't have to meet the questioning stares from her friends.

"Can we please stop talking about this? It's been less than a week!"

"Oh Michonne! We're just happy for you! Ever since that asshole left you at the altar…" She felt the sting of the memory of that day and it must have been visible because Andrea's words suddenly trailed off.

"Please don't bring that up. It was two years ago and I'm over it." She really was over him. She barely even thought about Mike because he didn't deserve any more of her time. But if she was being completely honest with herself, the pain was still there just below the surface and while she was over Mike, she hadn't completely moved past what he'd put her through.

Andrea shook her head apologetically and took a breath before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, it's just that it's been so long since we've seen you let anyone in!"

"Yeah and you deserve to be happy, love", Maggie agreed with a nod. Sasha chose that moment to jump in and pile on too.

"So forgive us for being all up in your business but it's good to see you so happy!" Michonne should've known she wasn't going to be able to escape wine night without talking about Rick but she did know that her friend's nosiness was coming from a place of love. She shook her head in defeat and chuckled before taking a deep breath.

"Ok, ok! Y'all are relentless…I don't know how it happened so fast but I've completely fallen for this guy. When he kisses me, it feels like…I don't know…like he's worshipping me…"

"So he's a good kisser?" It was like opening the floodgates; once she started talking about Rick, she couldn't stop.

"Oh yeah…my knees literally went weak the first time…" Andrea gasped in shock and slapped her arm.

"First time? So you kissed him more than once, you hussy?!"

"It was only twice and the second time…I swear I saw stars…", she answered with a laugh as Maggie cleared her throat.

"…and scandalized a small town on a Sunday morning from what I heard." Michonne's eyes widened and she stared at Maggie incredulously.

"Oh my god! How did you…never mind, I know what you're going to say. It's a small town." She dropped her head into her hands and groaned loudly at the news that she really was the talk talk of King County.

"My sister filled me in when I called her yesterday. From what she said, it sounded pretty hot!" Again, she felt her face growing hotter by the second both from embarrassment and the memory of being in Rick's arms.

"We were both so wrapped up in it that we kinda forgot we were out in public!"

"Damn girl! What is this guy doing to you?" She looked up at Sasha and shrugged.

"I don't know! He makes me feel things I haven't felt in a long time. Even though I know I should slow things down, I don't want to. I just want to be with him…doesn't that sound insane?" Maggie smiled brightly and gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"It sounds like you need to stop worrying about how fast it's going and just enjoy it." Andrea nodded and finished the last of her Pinot Noir.

"Maggie's right. Embrace the happiness…and him…every chance you get!" Michonne laughed and knowing the conversation couldn't end until each of them had their say, she looked over to Sasha to give her verdict.

"If it doesn't work out, we'll kick his ass but you'll be fine…but if it does…it could be everything." As Michonne looked around the table at the three women who had become like sisters to her over the last few years, she knew that they were right.

"You guys are the best friends anyone could ask for…I'll try my best to stop overthinking it", she grinned and signaled for the waiter before she continued, "but now that we're done analyzing my love life, can we please order more wine!"

"Before we do that…I have something to tell you all." The other three sets of eyes at the table turned to look at the newlywed. Michonne took the initiative to jump in and ask.

"What is it?" Maggie shook her head with a laugh.

"I'm really surprised none of you noticed that I'm not having wine…that I haven't been having wine for a few weeks now…" Michonne's lawyer brain went into overdrive but before she could get her mouth to catch up with her brain, she heard Sasha gasp.

"Oh my god! You're pregnant!" Maggie's face exploded with joy as she began giggling uncontrollably.

"Yes! I'm due in January and now you all know the real reason the wedding moved up from June." Michonne leaned over toward Maggie and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"I'm so happy for you! I know Glenn must be ecstatic!" Maggie nodded and squeezed her back.

"He is…we both are and I can't wait to introduce this little one to their three aunties!"

Michonne sat back in her seat and smiled to herself and listened as Maggie was bombarded with questions from Sasha and Andrea. She made a mental note to text Glenn as soon as she got home. She'd known him her whole life and he'd never been able to keep a secret but somehow he'd kept this one from her. For the first time since she'd met him, Rick was the farthest thing from her mind as she thought of all the ways to give Glenn a hard time about keeping secrets.

 **XX**

 **Saturday**

 _Rick Grimes would like FaceTime…_

Michonne smiled to herself as she accepted the call and was greeted by Rick's smiling face. His hair was hidden by a Braves cap, pulled low over his eyes which were made even more blue by the navy t-shirt he wore. The greying scuff on his cheeks was a little more pronounced, giving his face a more rugged look. She hoped he didn't shave it before their date the next day because she couldn't wait to feel it beneath her fingertips and against her skin.

"Hey handsome…"

"God, you're pretty!" Even though she knew he was exaggerating, she lowered her eyes and blushed demurely at his compliment.

"Liar…I'm just getting home from the gym so I know I'm a sweaty mess!" He shook his head emphatically and kept smiling at her through the phone.

"No, you're beautiful and nothing could make me think otherwise."

"Well, thank you and you're not so bad yourself with that country boy thing you have going on right now." He looked just as good in a t shirt and baseball cap as he did in the suit he'd worn to the wedding. Not to mention how he was somehow able to make that drab khaki sheriffs office uniform look good. She smiled to herself when those memes about getting a man who can do both came to mind.

"I'm glad you like it because this is me at my most…me", he explained with a laugh. She was about to let him know that wearing a t shirt with her hair pulled back was pretty much her natural state, when she was distracted by the sound of children laughing.

"Are you FaceTiming me from Sophia's birthday party?"

"Hey, I'm between supervision shifts and I needed the reprieve. I'll take jailhouse duty over managing a dozen ten year olds any day!"

"That's pretty bad! So what did you and your one ten year old get into last night?"

"I grilled some hot dogs and we camped out in the backyard. Shane stopped by for a little while and we had a very competitive game of Uno.", he answered with a shrug.

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" He nodded and grinned back at her.

"Oh it was…and there may have been s'mores involved…", he teased, immediately making her crave the chocolaty concoction.

"Are you trying to make my mouth water?! I bet Carl loved that!"

"He did! I was just glad to get him out of his video games for a little while." He was entirely too humble and it made her want to reach through the phone and pull him into a hug.

"You're a great dad…"

"I'm doing my best for him."

"Good, because that's all you can do." There was a short pause as she let her words sit with him for a minute. She could sense that it was what he needed to hear. Finally, the moment passed and his focus completely returned to her.

"Did you finally decide where we're going tomorrow night?", he asked with a half-smile.

"I'm still thinking…" She didn't mean to sound whiny but he'd been asking her that question all week. He'd asked her to pick the place for their date because he didn't know Atlanta that well. At the time, she'd readily agreed but since then, she'd struggled with it. Nothing seemed perfect enough.

"You're still gonna be thinking when I show up on your doorstep." It was her turn to shrug and she made sure to add a teasing grin.

"Maybe…I guess you'll just have to wait and see." He smiled and she noticed his eyes had turned darker and the emotion in them was palpable even through the screen. He pulled his lower lip through his teeth and it sent a shiver through her as she remember the way those lips felt against hers.

He'd just opened his mouth to speak when she saw a little dark head pop into view behind him.

"DAD! Can I have another piece of cake?" Rick turned around and she laughed to herself as she watched him try to guard the screen. Her eyes widened as Carl maneuvered to slide between his father and the phone peering into the screen. She inhaled deeply as anxiety settled in on her. Meeting Rick's son was not on her agenda for the day, not because she didn't want to but because it was yet another thing happening very fast.

"Carl!" Rick had tried to sound firm but Michonne could hear his exasperation. Carl ignored him completely and continued to stare at her in confusion. His dark hair was a little long and it fell across his eyes that matched his dad's.

"Who are you talking to?" She heard Rick sigh before his face appeared next to Carl's in the screen. Side by side, she could really see how much they looked alike and she could immediately tell that Carl was going to be a heartbreaker when he got older.

"Carl, this is Miss Michonne." She took Rick's introduction as her cue to push her nervousness to the side and smile and wave to Carl.  
"Hi Carl." She heard the tremor in her voice and she told herself to calm down. He was just a ten year old boy…a ten year old boy who was the absolute light of his father's life…a ten year old boy whom she desperately wanted to like her.

"Hi…I like your shirt." She glanced down to remind herself which shirt she was wearing. It was her oversized Captain America shirt she liked wearing to the gym because it was long enough to cover her bottom. She gave Carl a full, toothy grin as she realized she had an in.

"Thanks! Are you a Captain America fan?" His face lit up like the Atlanta skyline.

"Yeah! Civil War was so cool but Spiderman was my favorite!"

"I liked it too but I think Black Panther was my favorite."

"He was amazing! I can't wait for that movie! I told my dad we have to see them both in IMAX." She nodded her agreement but decided to offer him another option.

"IMAX is cool but Dolby Cinema is the way to go. The sound is so good the chairs even shake!" Carl's eyes went wide.

"Really?!"

"Oh yeah! I think there's one in Morrow which isn't too far from where you live." She couldn't help but laugh at the look of excitement on Carl's face. He turned to his father who was wearing an amused little grin.

"Dad! We have got to see them in Dolby Cinema!" He turned back to the camera with excitement still shining in his eyes. "Are you going to come with us to see them?" She glanced at Rick and was stuck by the happiness that was written all over his face. If he allowed her to make plans with his son, he was telling her that he planned to still be with her in February and maybe even in May which was over a year away. It would tell her that even though they'd only known each other for a week, he was all in. From the look in his eyes, she could tell he knew that too.

Her heart jumped in her chest when he nodded without hesitation and she turned back to Carl, pretending to think about the question.

"I'll go…as long as we go opening night and eat popcorn with M&Ms. Deal?" Carl nodded and burst into a wide smile.

"Deal!" There was a brief pause as Carl's expression changed back to his original questioning one. "Are you my dad's girlfriend?" The question pulled a nervous cough from her and stunned her with it's suddenness. When Rick placed his hands on the boys shoulders and called time on the conversation, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Carl, say bye to Miss Michonne and go on and get your cake."

"But dad…", he protested, as he turned back to his dad. Rick shook his head and stayed firm.

"Go on…" Carls shoulders slumped when he realized his dad wasn't playing. He turned back to the phone and waved his hand at her.

"Bye, Miss Michonne!" How was it possible that she already adored that kid?

"Bye Carl and you can just call me Michonne." She winked at him and he grinned back at her before turning his back to the camera. He was facing Rick, but she was still able to hear him, in a loud whisper, give her the best endorsement a kid could give.

"She's really cool, dad!" She couldn't see the expression on Rick's face but she did see his hand lovingly ruffle his son's hair.

"Yeah, she is. Now get going!" Rick turned back to the camera as Carl ran off. "Sorry about that. I think he heard Shane refer to you as my girlfriend last night..."

"I should've known…" Rick pulled off his baseball cap and ran a hand through his wavy, dark hair refusing to meet her eyes.

"...and since that is what you are…" Her brain slowed to a crawl as she processed those words. They'd joked about being in a relationship earlier in the week, but it had been a long time since she'd been anyone's girlfriend. For some reason, that sounded more serious than just saying they were in a relationship.

"Am I now?" He dragged his gaze back to her and behind the anxiety she was in his eyes, there was hope.

"You are if you want to be." His words were firm and confident like he'd never been so sure of anything in his life. His certainty made her more certain that things were going just they way they were supposed to go.

"I want to be." He smiled broadly and pulled his cap back on his head as relief settled in.

"Thank God! I mean, you just met my son! What kind of father would I be if I let a woman who wasn't my girlfriend do that?" He was entirely too cute and she couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm glad I got to meet him and your Best Dad status is still in tact…but you should probably get off the phone if you want it to stay that way!"

"Yeah, you're probably right…", he agreed, "…by the way, that picture you sent me of us at the reception…"

"What about it?" He shook his head slightly as his lips curved into a playful grin.

"I love it! I'm thinking about printing it and framing it for my desk at work just so I can see you and your gorgeous smile every day." She covered her face with her hands and laughed out loud. It was like he was reading her mind because she'd thought about doing the same thing.

"Honestly…I made it the wallpaper on my phone so I can see those pretty blue eyes of yours to tide me over until I can see them in person again." He bit that bottom lip of his again and she watched his eyes trace the angles of her face like he was trying to commit it to memory.

"I can't wait to see you…in person." His voice came out as whisper but the emotion behind the words were perfectly clear.

"Me either. I'll talk to you later?" The breathiness of her voice surprised even her and caused Rick to clear his throat before speaking.

"Sooner is better…"

"Stealing my lines now Sergeant?" The was a hint of mischievousness in his eyes that reminded her of Carl's right before he asked her the girlfriend question.

"Just borrowing."

"Mmm hmm…bye Rick."

"Bye...oh and get ready to be thoroughly kissed when I see you tomorrow." His eyes had regained that darkness from earlier and his words held nothing but promise. She smiled to herself and leaned her head to one side giving him the same caress with her eyes that he'd given her. Suddenly, she knew exactly what she wanted their date the next night to be and her mind began to race with things she needed to do before the next day.

She pulled herself back into the moment and this time, she bit her own lip as her mouth curved into a smile.

"Rick Grimes…you better be a man of your word."

 **XX**

A/N:

Phone conversations…check

Carchonne…check

Love scene…stay tuned!

As always, please review! :)


	5. Two Weeks

**A/N: I'm back and I changed the rating… ;) Can I just say THANK YOU for all of the reviews?! I want to shout all of you out for leaving such kind words about this little story. I'm smiling so big as I read all of them! I love all of it and all of you! I'm sending everyone who has left a comment, favorited, or followed this story a huge hug!**

 **P.S. This chapter is long AF!**

 **Two Weeks**

 **Inspired by: Two Weeks by FKA twigs**

"Are you sure that's everything, mom?"

"Baby, I'm not so old that I can't remember how to make your grandma's peach cobbler!" Michonne sighed deeply and smiled into the Echo Show sitting on her kitchen counter at her mother Aline who was sitting on the porch of the retirement house her parents bought in Florida with a glass of iced tea and walking her daughter through the family's famous peach cobbler recipe.

"I just want it to be perfect", she explained as she continued chopping peaches. She looked at the time and slightly panicked when she realized she was less than 3 hours away from Rick arriving. Everything she needed for dinner was basically ready to go, but she was still working on dessert and she had to shower and get changed. Suddenly, she was reconsidering her idea to stay in and cook that seemed oh so brilliant at the time.

"You know, your grandma made that peach cobbler to catch your grandpa and it sealed the deal with for me and your daddy too…" Hearing the question in her mother's tone, she just kept chopping peaches and tried to ignore it.

"I know. I've heard those stories my entire life…" Her mother rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

"You're really going to make me ask about this man you're trying to impress?" Michonne set the knife down and dumped the peaches into a bowl.

"I'm not…" Her words faltered as she remembered that she'd never successfully lied to her mother in her life. "His name is Rick and he's a sergeant in the King County sheriffs office."

"King County? How did you two meet?"

"Glenn's wedding…" Her mother looked up from her crossword puzzle book and raised an eyebrow.

"Last week? And you're already making the seal the deal Peach Cobbler?"

"Mom…" Aline shook her head and took a sip of her tea and Michonne laughed to herself when she realized her mother had literally become that meme.

"I'm just saying you never made peach cobbler for he whose name we dare not speak..and you were going to marry him!"

"He wasn't much for desserts and that was yet another sign I ignored."

"He was a snake good at hiding…but this Rick is different, right?" She considered her mother's question for only a moment before nodding.

"Yeah…he's different." A knowing smile appeared on her mother's face.

"Good. You can tell me all about him when you come down for Memorial Day weekend. We'll have girl time away from your daddy and your brother." She'd nearly forgotten that she was supposed to go to Lighthouse Point to spend the holiday with her family, but it was something she was definitely looking forward to. She hadn't seen them since Christmas and that was almost five months ago.

"That sounds perfect. How are you, mom? Daddy isn't getting on your nerves too much in retirement, is he?" Her father, Isaac, wasn't handling retirement well. Her mother called her at least twice a week complaining about her father and his constant need to be doing something. She really needed to find him a hobby.

"Now he wouldn't be your daddy if he wasn't!" She laughed and looked into the screen. Aline Pierce was still a beautiful woman. Her hair had been in dreadlocks ever since Michonne was a child and now they fell down her back in a gorgeous mixture of grey and black. She'd always wanted to be like her mother and that was the reason she wore her hair in the same style.

"True…well tell him I said hi." Aline waved her hand dismissively and smiled brightly into the camera.

"I will! Now go finish making your dinner! You should wear something yellow. You always look so pretty in yellow!" Michonne nodded at her mother's suggestion and returned her smile.

"I will. I love you mom."

"I love you too and that man of yours is going to take one bite of that peach cobbler before dropping to one knee and asking you to marry him!"

"It's only our third date…" Her mom shook her head knowingly and laughed.

"You're the one who decided to make that peach cobbler! You'll find out! It's better than any love potion out there!"

 **XX**

She smiled and nervously smoothed her hands over the knee length red Ankara skirt she was wearing when she heard his light knock on her front door. He was right on time and she didn't expect any less from him so everything was ready and waiting. She paused in front of the mirror in the hallway and checked her reflection. She'd taken her mother's advice and put on a flowy, sleeveless yellow top with a deep v-neck, and she'd pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath before moving to answer the door.

That breath she was holding came out in a rush when she saw Rick standing in the hallway. He was wearing dark jeans and a light grey oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His dark curls were combed back away from his face that he still hadn't shaved at her request, and in his hands he held a colorful bouquet of flowers. There was a hint of nervousness in his expression until his gorgeous eyes locked with hers and he smiled broadly.

"Hi. You look…gorgeous!"

"You're not too bad yourself. Come in!" Returning his smile, she stood to the side allowing him to brush past her as he entered her apartment close enough to smell the crisp, woodsy scent of his cologne. She pushed the door closed behind him and turned to face him. "Are those for me?"

He nodded and extended the flowers toward her.

"I stopped on the way into the city and Carl helped me pick them out. The colors reminded me of the sunset at the wedding last week which of course, reminded me of you." She took the flowers from him and brought him to her nose.

"They're beautiful!" He followed her into the kitchen where she began opening cabinets looking for a vase. It had been a really long time since anyone had brought her flowers. She filled the vase with water and quickly arranged the flowers inside. "Thank you and thank Carl for me too."

"You're welcome." She watched quietly as he surveyed her fully modern kitchen and into the open living area that she'd painstakingly decorated over the years. "This place is nice!"

She looked around her well-loved condo and nodded her agreement. "It's home."

"It's lovely…just like you." His drawl was more pronounced and when she glanced over her shoulder she saw him leaning against the counter with his arms folded over his chest and his eyes trained on her like she was the only thing that interested him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was just thinking about that promise I made you."

"Which promise was that?"

"I said I was going to thoroughly kiss you when I saw you and one thing you should know about me, Michonne, is that I am always a man of my word." She smiled as he gently cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips to brush against hers. As her eyes fluttered closed, Michonne wondered why she'd never realized that a kiss that innocent had the power to set her body on fire. His warm lips were so soft but also so firm against hers and as her eyes fluttered closed, all thoughts unrelated to that moment were lost. Without any direction, her arms moved around him and brought their bodies even closer together. The closeness made his mouth grow more insistent as it worked toward parting her lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, and accelerating their kiss to a different level of passion.

Michonne knew that by staying in for their date, she was probably nudging their relationship on to the next phase and in that moment, as warmth pooled in her belly, she was completely ok with wherever that date took them.

The sound of glass shattering made them jump apart and Michonne frowned when she saw T'Challa sitting in the exact spot where she had just put the flowers that were now laying amidst the pile of broken glass on the floor. Once the shock wore off, she felt Rick's body shake with laughter. She dropped her forehead against his shoulder and joined him.

"You weren't kidding about him not wanting to share you!" She sighed and shook her head as Rick's slowly released her from their embrace.

"T'Challa! Get down!" The cat only stared indifferently at them both and meowed loudly but as soon as she moved toward him he jumped off the counter and escaped down the hall. She turned around to find Rick already crouching to pick up the flowers from where they'd landed. "I'm sorry about that. He knows he's not allowed on the counter…"

"It's ok. He was just letting me know who's the boss around here", he said as he laid the flowers on the counter. She grabbed the broom and dustpan from the pantry and started sweeping the glass into a pile.

"Still…the flowers were so beautiful."

"They still are. We just have to find another vase and put them in a very…very high place" he joked, taking the broom from her and continuing to sweep up the mess. She laughed and she intended to only glance over at him, but she quickly became lost watching him.

"What?" His voice shook her from her thoughts and she was greeted by a look of amusement on his handsome face. Shaking her head, she went to get some paper towels.

"You certainly know how to work a broom!" He chuckled and swept the last of the glass into the dustpan.

"My mama made sure I got lots of practice." Once he'd gotten all of the glass up, she knelt down to wipe up the water left behind and the kitchen was suddenly as good as new.

"Now that we've taken care of that, what's the plan for tonight?" Rick asked, putting the broom and dustpan back in the pantry and rejoining her at the kitchen island.

"I had about fifty different ideas but it's Sunday and I couldn't stop thinking about how nice it might be to stay in, put on some music, and cook together…", she answered, not understanding why she was so nervous about it. When she'd come up with the idea for them to cook together, it had seemed perfect. She'd grown up watching her mom and dad cook together while listening to old soul music by Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. When she was old enough to understand what "relationship goals" were, her parents laughing, kissing, touching, and dancing while making dinner became that for her.

Despite how many times she'd tried to coax Mike into cooking with her, he'd always declined. Sign from God number 150 that she saw too late or just plain ignored about him and their relationship. So maybe inviting Rick to cook with her was her way of trying to see the sign a little earlier.

"I'm all in but you should know that unless it's something simple or grilled, I'm a terrible cook", he warned but she only laughed at his honesty.

"Don't worry, I got your back." He nodded and grinned at her from across the kitchen.

"What are we making?" She grabbed two aprons from a drawer in her center island and tossed him one he caught with ease.

"My mother's family is from New Orleans so I thought we could make jambalaya…" He didn't give her the chance to finish her thought before he tied the apron around his waist and crossed the kitchen to stand beside her.

"That sounds good…real good. What do you need me to do?" He was doing that thing again where he could just stand in her proximity and send her attraction to him to a fever pitch. She had to clear her throat before answering him.

"…Just get to chopping, sergeant."

As they worked on their respective tasks, they shared stories about their favorite meals as children; his was his mama's fried chicken and she told him all about how her daddy's barbecue ribs were so tender that the meat fell off the bone. A playlist filled with everything from rock to R&B was pouring out of the speakers and the bottle of wine they'd cracked open was lubricating the conversation nicely.

After he chopped all of the peppers and onions, she tasked him with measuring out all the spices and he made sure to brush against her every time he needed something that was near her. When he was done and she was busy browning the vegetables and cooking the andouille, he moved behind her, resting his hands on the curve of her hips and placing tiny kisses on the side of her neck. Needless to say, the cooking wasn't the only reason she was feeling a little overheated.

She asked him to brown the chicken to get a temporary reprieve from his very welcome attentions but watching him try so hard to focus on cooking so he wouldn't mess up their meal made him nearly irresistible. She was drawn to him like a magnet; her arms wrapping around his middle bringing her body flush against his firm back as her chin rested on his shoulder. If he was going to use cooking as an opportunity to get closer, so was she.

His body seemed to relax under her touch and she heard the smile in his voice when he said, "You should really stop distractin' me if you don't want me to burn these…"

She squeezed him a little tighter and smiled into his sleeve. "I'm keeping my eye on you so you don't burn them", she countered, feeling a gentle laugh rumble through his body as he turned the chicken. Allowing his attention to leave the chicken for a moment, his free hand grabbed one of hers and brought it up to his lips.

"Darlin', you can supervise me like this any time…"

 **XXX**

The flirting continued as they enjoyed their creation out on the balcony where they could watch the sunset over dinner. The balcony had been one of the selling points of the townhouse when she bought it. It wrapped around half of the second floor of the house almost like a porch and you could get to it from both the living room and the master bedroom. At one end, she'd set up a seating area with wicker furniture and at the other, she had a round dining table where they sat side by side while they ate, enjoyed a second bottle of wine, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company.

The food had turned out perfectly and Rick was more vocal about his surprise about that fact. "I knew your part would be perfect but I was sure my part was going to screw it all up", he'd clarified after she teased him about questioning her cooking. She assured him he'd done fine and by the time they were done eating jambalaya and cornbread, neither of them had room for the peach cobbler she'd tempted him with all evening.

The wine had also loosened the conversation; letting them go a little deeper than they ever had before.

"Can I ask you something?" He looked up at her over the rim of his wine glass and he raised both eyebrows.

"Anything." She finished off what was left in her glass and took a deep breath.

"Your marriage…", she began, making the playful expression fall from from his features.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask me…"

"It's just that you're so…wonderful! I can't imagine anyone letting you go." He didn't immediately answer and his silence made her feel bad for even asking. "You don't have to answer…"

"No…it's ok. Lori and I were married too young and once we had Carl, I thought we were this perfect little family…and we were until I found out she'd been cheating on me. She swore it was a mistake and it was over so I tried to make it work for a while…for Carl. Then one day she came to me and said she was leaving me for him."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. Losing Lori isn't even on the periphery of things I regret about the whole thing. Losing Carl on the other hand…"

"You haven't lost him…" He nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know. But I don't get to see him everyday either so sometimes it feels like it." Her heart was breaking for him and she understood why he was the lonely guy at the bar the night they met. She reached across the table and squeezed his hand and the gesture pulled a grateful smile to his lips. "So…your turn."

"What?" She should've expected it but she didn't know if she was really ready to talk about it.

"You're a million times more wonderful that I'll ever be, so how is it that you were available for me to ask you out?" She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before sighing. He was right. If he had to share, so did she.

"I was engaged a few years ago. His name was Mike and we'd been together since college. I thought we were meant to be right up until the day he left me standing at the altar all alone." Rick's jaw tightened and so did his grip on her hand.

"He's a coward and a fool." He sounded like he'd be ready and willing to kick Mike's ass for hurting her and she'd never had anyone be that protective of her. It was an entirely new thing and she kinda liked it.

"Yeah, well…since then I just hadn't met anyone that made me want to get back out there, until you." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist.

"Why me?" She shrugged and gave him a short once-over.

"I don't know…maybe it was how honest you seemed when you approached me…maybe it was your pretty blue eyes…" He smiled briefly at her joke but when his eyes met hers again, they were sparkling with hopefulness.

"Either way, I'm so glad you said yes that night." He wasn't the only one who got lucky the night they met and it was taking everything in her not be overwhelmed by the depths of her feelings for him in that moment. She smiled bigger than she thought was possible before leaning over and planting an innocent kiss on his lips.

"I'm so glad you asked me."

 **XXXX**

By the time they moved to the love seat and she was sitting next to Rick with her back pressed against his chest and his arm draped over her chest, Michonne was thinking about how much she didn't want that night to end.

"It's getting late…", he whispered like he'd heard her thoughts and was just as upset about it. Instead of sitting up so he could move, she threaded her fingers through his and squeezed.

"What time is your shift tomorrow?"

"Noon." The fluttering she'd felt in her stomach since the minute she'd invited him into her apartment intensified and she was made hyperaware of the growing feelings she had for him. Michonne had always considered herself a levelheaded person who never leaped before looking or jumped in head first, but this man she'd only known a week had turned all of that on its head. Her overthinking and second-guessing had been silenced by Rick's mere presence in her life and even she knew that was something to hold on to.

She sat up and shifted so that she could see those eyes of his that continuously made her weak. His cheeks were a little red from the wine and his lips curled up in a half grin that demanded that she smile back. She held on to his hand a little tighter and decided to step out on the ledge.

"So…theoretically…you could stay here tonight and leave in the morning to make your shift…" There was a nervous pause as she waited for the real meaning of her proposal to dawn on him. It probably took less than a minute for his eyes to widen and for the corner of his bottom lip to find its way between his teeth, and her heart was beating wildly inside her chest in anticipation of his reaction.

"Well…", he began, "…we did polish off two bottles of wine…" She smiled at the playfulness in his tone and nodded her agreement.

"True and as an officer of the law, it wouldn't be right for you to drive home tonight." He tilted his head to one side and shrugged.

"Sounds like…I should stay put, then…" She felt his eyes following her as she rose from her position next to him only to resettle on his lap with her legs pulled up into the space she'd vacated.

"Sounds like it…", she echoed, gently running her fingers over the scruff on his face. His eyes widened and she could feel the pace of his breathing increase as his hand traced across her knee, dipping under the hem of her skirt. The sensation of his rough fingertips against the sensitive skin there brought a smile to her face. She leaned in closer to him until their lips were nearly touching and her hands moved from his face to the those curls at the back of his neck that she'd never get enough of.

"…and I haven't tried your grandma's peach cobbler yet…" For a moment, he only stared at her; the blatant affection in his gaze tearing down what was left of the walls she'd built around her heart after Mike had shattered it. It had only taken him a week to completely destroy what had taken her years to build and fortify.

"The cobbler can wait", she whispered before meeting his waiting lips with her own.

The kissing started slow, almost tentative as neither of them wanted to rush things, but the intensity became more difficult to keep at bay. She became s little lightheaded when his tongue slipped between her lips, and her grip on his hair tightened and she held him tighter against her like he was the only thing keeping her tethered to the ground. She could taste the spices from their dinner on his tongue and that added to his own unique flavor.

They stayed that way for a long while; making out on the love seat like a couple of teenagers whose parents were out for the evening and how she loved kissing him! When he finally broke the kiss, his lips were swollen and red but he immediately put them back to work on the side of her neck. She leaned her head back and savored the feeling of his lips on her skin as he made a path from her neck to the deep V of her shirt, and back up the other side.

"We should go inside…" He stopped his ministrations long enough to give her a slight nod and she reluctantly pulled herself off of him. He followed her lead and she took his hand in hers as she led him back into the house. When they got to her bedroom door, closed to keep T'Challa out when she wasn't in there, she opened it and pulled him inside. She pushed the door closed behind them and turned to face him leaning against the door and smiling at him suggestively. His burning gaze struck her like an arrow to the heart.

She'd only taken two steps toward him when they met in a tangle of hands and lips. She tugged his shirt loose from his pants and her fingers busied themselves with undoing the buttons so she could push it off his shoulders letting it fall forgotten to the floor. His sharp intake of breath as she dragged her hands across his firm chest allowing her fingernails to lightly scratch his skin, brought a smile to her face as she followed the path of her hands with her lips.

She kissed her way across his collarbone, up his neck to his chin, finally arriving back at his mouth.

"You have entirely too many clothes on, counselor…" His words rushed out in a hurried whisper and she continued nibbling on his neck.

"You can help me remedy that any time…" He didn't need any more persuading. Before she knew what was happening, her shirt had joined his on the floor and he'd captured her breasts in his large hands, massaging them against the satin of her bra as he worked his mouth against hers. She tightened her hold on his waist and steadily started backing him toward her large four-poster bed.

When the back of his knees hit the edge of the mattress he sat down, his hands moving to her sides and he started kissing a path down her body from just under her breasts to the waistline of her skirt. She decided to help him out by reaching to unzip her skirt, stepping out of it as it slipped off of her hips and landed on the floor. He stopped kissing her and she felt his eyes swept across her body from the lacy black bra she wore to her matching bikini panties.

"What is it?" She smiled nervously, her body flushing from the weight of his scrutiny.

"You. You're…gorgeous."

"You sound like you're just seeing that…" He immediately started shaking his head and he pulled her a little closer, his hands making their way down to the swell of her bottom.

"Nah…I always saw it. I'm just seeing more of you and it's kinda overwhelming…" His large hands rubbed her cheeks appreciatively and she had to rest her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.

"Is that a fact?"

"Oh yeah…so if I die tonight the cause of death should say Michonne being too damn gorgeous."

"Maybe we should slow things down. I can't have you dying on me…" Shaking his head, his hands trailed up her back to the clasp of her bra and unhooked it. He pulled it off of her and dropped it on top of her skirt, leaving her breasts free. His eyes lit up and a playful grin danced on his lips and he looked up at her as his hands moved to cup her breasts.

"Not necessary. At least I'll die a happy man…" Her eyes fluttered closed as his mouth descended on her sensitive, hardened nipple and she threw her head back and wallow in the pleasure he was giving her. His tongue nearly drove her crazy each time it swept across her nipple, drawing little moans of satisfaction from her as he rotated from one to the other. Every place his lips touched was left singed and based on her ragged breathing and the way her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest, she wasn't sure if she was going to survive the night.

It had been so long since she felt anything like what she was feeling and her brain was having a hard time processing it. She'd known this man for only a week and she already couldn't get enough of him.

A surge of pleasure emboldened her to push him back on the bed to land between her pillows. She was distracted for just a moment by the way his pelvic bone peeked out from under his jeans. Biting her lip, she ran her hands up his legs and over his thighs, stopping to brush her fingertips across his "V" before leaning forward to replace them with her lips. His eyes widened in surprise as she crawled up his body, leaving a trail of kisses, nips, and licks in her wake.

She rolled her eyes up at him catching him looking at her with his mouth hanging open and a far away look in his beautiful eyes. She loved that look and she loved being the reason for that look. As she crawled up his body, she felt the evidence of his arousal through the thick fabric of his jeans and it sent her anticipation of what was to come into overdrive. The man was certainly blessed in more ways than one.

Her lips made it up to his neck and chin, finally landing on his mouth where they fell into another deep kiss. He took that opportunity to slide his hands into the back of her panties and refilling them with handfuls of her bottom. She broke their kiss with a gasp and he used her broken concentration to flip her onto her back and work on covering her with kisses.

"I think you're the one who's overdressed now, sergeant…" She murmured allowing her fingers to deftly work on loosening his belt and unbuttoning his jeans.

"Seems like you're correcting that for me…" He laughed against her neck and his warm breath against her skin stoked the fire burning inside of her.

"Anything for you." She tugged down the zipper and her hand slipped inside his jeans to feel him and he hissed his pleasure at her touch. He was impossibly hard and she wanted him so bad. She pushed his jeans and underwear over his narrow hips but suddenly, he froze and looked up at her sheepishly.

"Can you…grab my wallet out of my back pocket…" The giggle snuck out before she could even think about holding it in.

"You are such a boy scout!" He'd turned a bright shade of scarlet and she thought it was the cutest thing ever. She almost couldn't get how a man so sexy could be so adorable at the same time.

"I promise you I wasn't expecting anything…I told you Shane came over Friday night and he…insisted…" He tried to explain it, but the idea of Shane trying to prepare him for his date by giving him condoms filled her with mirth.

"Shane's a good friend to you but…" The words trailed off as she stretched to open for the top drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a whole box. "Taking advantage of you was part of the plan…" His lips curled into a lopsided grin and he lifted an eyebrow as his head tilted to one side.

"Could you be any more perfect?"

"Could you?" Their lips meet again but slower as he helped her finish removing the rest of his clothes. Their bodies were pressed against each other with only her tiny underwear separating them.

"You should know…it's been a long time for me." His admission was endearing and she could sense his anxiety brewing. She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled up at him.

"Me too. We'll just take our time, ok?" He nodded and the tension fled she lifted her bottom off the bed so he could remove the last thing standing between them. She pulled a condom out of the box and handed it to him; the sound of the foil packet as it tore open giving her goosebumps. Soon, he was back on top of her; his fingers moving down to touch her and explore her depths as he kisses her. It was her turn to grab handfuls of his ass and she accepted the challenge wholeheartedly. Each time she kneaded his firm backside he'd reward her with a guttural moan and a deeper kiss. His fingers were making it harder to think and her body seemed to know what was happening before her brain could process it. She comes violently; shaking beneath him and lifting her hips to meet his rhythm, barely noticing that his fingers had left her and his rock hard length was poised to replace them.

Widening her thighs, her eyes clenched shut and she gasped when she felt him press into her; her body gripping him to the point where it was almost painful. It had been nearly 2 years since she'd been with a man and it all felt brand new.

He drove deeper into her pausing after each long thrust and she wasn't sure if that was for her benefit or his. His breathing was fast and uneven, and she forced her eyes open she saw that his were closed tightly beneath furrowed brows. His face was the portrait of a man walking the tightrope between taking things slow and giving in to his lust for her. She took his face between her hands and his eyes slowly blinked open and the the fire burning inside of them was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

"Let go...", she urged, the wanton desire evident in her voice. She barely had time to brace herself before he took her advice and buried himself fully inside of her. "Rick…god…" Her hands fell away from his face to grip the bedding as he stretched and molded her to fit him. It was difficult to temper the sensations rushing through her body but she did it; wanting nothing more than to experience all of it with him. He was so still above her, revealing to her that he was having the same problem; it was taking every bit of his concentration not to immediately lose himself in her.

"Chonne...you feel...so good…too good…" His voice was like molasses and she loved the way his shortening of her name sounded on his lips. He kissed her desperately as he slowly started to move; his thrusts long and slow as his hands directed her legs to wrap around him. She eagerly complied and started rolling her hips and meeting him thrust for thrust. He braced himself on his forearms which gave him the leverage he needed to gradually increase their pace. The room was filled with their heavy breathing, gasps, and moans while the headboard's staccato against the wall provided the rhythm.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and held on, her fingernails digging into his back as he kept pushing her body into the mattress while pushing her soul higher and higher toward another peak. Their bodies were slick with sweat and sliding against each other in a delicious and torturous friction that threatened to send them both over the edge.

His face was buried in the pillow next to her and she heard his deep moans, low curses, and her name being whispered like a litany. His voice, roughened by his desire for her, added to the continuing assault on her senses and she could feel herself inching toward her climax.

"Rick…ah…Rick…I'm…" The rest was lost in another heated kiss that swallowed her frenzied words. There was no use in trying to talk. She was well past the point of forming complete sentences, and she moved her hands to cup his face as he kissed her.

After a moment, he pulled her hands away from his face and threaded their fingers together above their heads, his lips focused on the junction of her neck and her shoulder as he continued driving into her. The stubble on his cheeks scratched against the sensitive skin of her neck but she loved it, and she silently thanked him for listening when she'd asked him not to shave.

"Chonne…" His voice was tight and he wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer. She tightened her legs around him and squeezed his fingers to let him know it was ok and he didn't need to worry. The first waves were already hitting her and she pushed her head back into the pillow and arched her back off the bed. The world exploded in a kaleidoscope of color as she was overcome by wave after wave of unyielding rapture. She almost didn't recognize her own voice as she shouted his name into the night.

After a few more shallow thrusts he came, releasing a satisfied groan as she felt his body stiffen before going completely limp against her with his face pressed into her neck. They lay there, trying to steady their breathing and give their pounding hearts time to recover. She wrestled her fingers away from his and ran them through his hair which was damp with sweat.

Shifting his weight off of her a bit, he lifted his head and his wide eyes fixed on hers and she found herself drowning in his bottomless pools of shimmering blue. They were filled with an emotion she couldn't quite name but it was pulling her in and it refused to let her go. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and his was laid bare before her.

His mouth opened but no words came out and after a second, he chuckled to himself before covering her lips with a lazy kiss.

"Everything…", he whispered as the kiss ended. "That was…everything." She felt the smile stretch across her face and the heat of her blush raced across her body.

"Yeah…it was everything", she sighed, bathing in the remnants of euphoria that were just starting to fade.

"I should go take care of…this…"

She nodded and pointed to a door across the room from where they came in. "The bathroom is over there."

Slowly, he removed himself from her to sit on the edge of the bed before standing up. She rolled onto her side, biting her lip at the view she had of his well-toned backside as he padded across the bedroom. The definition he had back there was unbelievable. It was almost like the man was sculpted out of marble.

"You're packed and you're stacked…especially in the back…" He looked back at her and the smirk on his face turned her smile into a full blown laugh. "…I wanna thank your mother for a butt like that…"

He continued into the bathroom and the door was almost shut behind him when his voice rang out…"Just so you know…fries come with this shake!" She closed her eyes and laughed even louder so she was sure he'd hear her as one thought played at the forefront of her mind.

 _God, I love him…_

 **XXXXX**

When she walked back into the bedroom wearing only his shirt and carrying a bowl filled with warm peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream, she found him sitting in his grey boxer briefs with his back against the headboard. He grinned when he saw her and it was infectious.

"There you are…and damn my shirt looks better on you than it ever did on me!" She did a little twirl so he could see the whole picture, remembering that he'd still been in the bathroom when the craving for something sweet hit her. After wrapping herself in his shirt because she loved how it smelled like him, she'd made her way into the kitchen where T'Challa silently judged her as she warmed up the cobbler.

"Thank you…and I told you through the door that I'd be right back."

"I know…you were just gone a long time…now I see why!" She shrugged and lifted a spoonful of cobbler to her lips.

"First of all, you should know that I'm always hungry after sex…" His skin turned a pretty shade of pink and he nodded like he was committing that tidbit to the most secure place in his memory banks. "…and all that talk of fries and shakes made me even hungrier!" She sat on the bed in front of him, folding her legs like a pretzel with the bowl resting between them.

"Is that the infamous peach cobbler?" She caught him looking into her bowl so she slowly twirled the spoon around in the bowl and scooped up another bite.

"Yep." She slid the spoon between her lips making sure to moan a little as she savored the taste.

"Tell me the story." She remembered that she'd teased the story of her family's peach cobbler recipe over dinner but she'd hadn't given the details.

Smiling, she dropped the spoon into the bowl and sighed. "It's not really a story, it's just that both my grandmother and my mother claim that this peach cobbler is the reason they caught their husbands."

He smiled and shook his head. "You didn't need any aphrodisiac to catch me…"

With a playful eye roll, she joked, "I obviously knew that you were a sure thing so I didn't make it because of the stories."

"Why did you make it?" Raising an eyebrow at him, she filled the spoon with cobbler.

"Because it's amazing! Here…" She lifted the spoon to his lips and he eagerly accepted it. She watched as his eyes fluttered closed and he savored the flavor on his tongue.

"You're right, it's amazing! And if I wasn't a sure thing, that would've definitely done me in!"

"Yeah?"

"Most definitely…that bowl is for both of us right?" She grinned and fed him another bite.

"You're the only person I'd share it with."

They finished off the bowl of cobbler while talking and laughing about nothing and she was glad that the change in their intimacy didn't seem to affect the way they were together.

As they finished the last of their dessert, she noticed a small drop of cobbler sauce on his chin and she leaned forward and licked it off. His eyes became fixed on her lips and when they finally met hers again, they'd darkened to a much deeper shade of blue.

"You had cobbler on your chin…"

"Thank you for taking care of that for me", he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and she was suddenly feeling much warmer than she had been only seconds earlier.

"It was my pleasure…" He wrestled the bowl out of her hands and she noticed his cocky grin a little too late to avoid having cobbler sauce accidentally on purpose spilled on her thigh. His head immediately dipped down to lick it off with a slow sweep of his tongue and what really sent her heart racing was the way he rolled his eyes up to give her the most adorably innocent look he could manage.

"You had some on your thigh", laughing lowly she shook her head at him.

"I can't imagine how that happened…", she quipped.

"Me either…" he mused as he took the spoon and dragged it across her skin tantalizingly close to the apex of her thighs. "Oh look…there's more." She shivered shamelessly as he thoroughly retrieved that bit with his tongue as well. He was still grinning when he placed the bowl on the nightstand and used his hands to unfold her legs so he could move between them.

"I should check to see if I missed any. We don't want to get cobbler all over the sheets…" Gently, he pushed her back onto the bed, slid his hands underneath her and lifted her up slightly before lowering his head to continue his search.

"Find anything…ah!" Her eyes clenched shut and she rolled her head back in rapture as his mouth expertly worked her over and soon she was pulling mindlessly at his silky curls and wondering how she'd gotten so lucky to find this man. Still, from the edges of her consciousness, she heard his voice breathy and deep.

"Yeah. I hit the jackpot…"

 **XXXXXX**

 **A/N: So there you go. There is one more chapter from Rick's POV…because we NEED to know how our boy is handling these…developments… before we have a bit of a time jump. :)**

 **That FKA twigs song is straight fire! If you haven't heard it you should give it a listen. I'm going to post a Spotify playlist for this story in my Tumblr (link in bio).**

 **Confession time…I don't consider myself very good at exposition. I'm better at dialogue. So writing love scenes is REALLY tough for me. I was seriously going to do a fade to black but when I started writing, this came out, I hope it was ok. :)**

 **Because of all that, I had to change the rating. But from the description of T on this site, I think I was pushing it anyway.**

 **Please review!**


	6. Out of My League

**A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful feedback about the last chapter! I was worried about that one and your responses were just what I needed! All of you are amazing for taking the time to read and interact with this story! Thank you Thank you! :) I'm so glad you all are enjoying it so much! Reviews, follows and favs make me so happy so keep them coming!**

 **Chapter Six: Out of my League**

 **Inspired by: Out of my League by Fitz and the Tantrums**

 _It wasn't a dream..._

That was the first coherent thought in Rick's head after he turned off the alarm on his phone. He was still a little groggy, but not so much so that he didn't recognize that he wasn't in his own bed waking up from a very vivid dream. The sun was peeking through the blinds and he sat up in bed searching for the person who should've been curled up next to him but she was nowhere in sight. He was more than a little disappointed, but in a way, he knew it was for the best. They had a bad habit of distracting each other and if either of them expected to be at work that day, any distractions had to be put on hold.

He smiled to himself as he climbed out of bed, eager to take care of his necessities so he could go find Michonne. He felt completely energized, despite only having about 5 hours of sleep. They'd stayed awake past midnight talking, laughing, and indulging in each other in the most intimate of ways. Her assault on each of his senses lingered with him. He could still taste her on his lips and his ears were filled with her voice softly moaning his name as their bodies moved as one. When he closed his eyes, he saw her beautiful face contorted in pleasure. The scent of her perfume lingered on his skin reminding him of how it felt to have her skin pressed against his. Everything about her and their night together was branded in his memory like a tattoo and he was sure it would never fade.

Making his way to the bathroom, he saw that she'd left his clothes neatly folded on a chair and he'd never be able to look at that shirt again without picturing her wearing it and the way it hit her just under her perfect ass and exposed her long, gorgeous legs that he wanted wrapped around him as often as possible.

Shaking away that distracting vision, he continued into the bathroom where he found a towel, washcloth, and toothbrush thoughtfully laid out for him. She'd thought of everything and with a grin, Rick decided that her large, standalone shower was calling his his name.

 **XX**

He rounded the corner leading into the kitchen and that's where he found her looking so gorgeous that it stopped him in his tracks. She was leaning against the kitchen island looking at something on her phone and the olive green dress she was wearing was hugging her in all the right places. Her legs were bare and they flowed into a pair of black, sky high heels. She had pulled her hair up into a bun similar to the one she wore at the wedding and a pair of tortoiseshell glasses sat on her face. Her skin was glowing like she'd bathed in rich, dark roast coffee and sunshine.

She hadn't noticed him yet so he just watched her for a minute thinking about how none of the prosecutors in King County looked like that at their courthouse. He must've sighed out loud, because she looked up from her phone and gave him one of her megawatt smiles that made her nose crinkle and put her dimples front and center and Rick felt himself blushing under the weight of that smile that made him forget how to breathe.

"Good morning…", she said; her deep chocolate eyes never leaving his as she put her phone down and focused all of her attention on him.

"Mornin...you look like you've been up for hours. Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because I watched you set your alarm last night and you were sleeping so good that I didn't have the heart to wake you", she answered with a shrug.

"I have to admit that was the best nights sleep I've had in a while."

"Well...you certainly earned it." He caught her little smirk as she lifted her coffee cup to her perfect lips as her compliment brought a prideful smile to his face. "There's coffee over here…bagels too if you're interested", she offered as she put her mug back on the counter.

"I'm interested but I need one thing first." He moved over to her and placed both hands on her hips so that he could gently tug her away from the counter. She pulled her glasses from her face and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Especially since you robbed me of the pleasure of waking up with you in arms."

"If I'd stayed in bed, neither of us would've made it to work today and you know it." It was his turn to shrug and he pulled her a little closer to him.

"Would that have been so bad?"

"No…but one of us has to be the level-headed one." She inhaled deeply and smiled. "You used my body wash, didn't you? Now you're going to smell like coconut all day."

"I don't care. It'll remind me of you all day." His lips found hers and her arms tightened around his neck as he greeted her the way he wanted to. Her soft lips parted against his almost immediately and he sucked her bottom lip between his drawing a soft, breathy moan from her. Her arms tightened around his neck and that inspired him to deepen the kiss even further; his hands moving down to caress her backside. He tasted coffee and cinnamon on her breath and he knew he'd forever associate those flavors with her.

They stayed like that for a minute before he felt her arms leave his neck and her palms against his chest. Understanding her signal, he dragged his lips away from hers but he continued kissing along her jawbone and down the side of her neck.

"Rick…"

"I know, I know…it's your turn to be the level-headed one." Regretfully, he raised his head and took a step back, letting his hands fall away from her wonderfully curvy body. Her face was flushed and her lipstick was smeared, and her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. He wanted to grab her and kiss the level-headedness right out of her but he took another step back forcing himself to resist that temptation.

She smiled at him and his heart started beating faster when he felt her fingers rubbing against what he was sure was lipstick on his lips. He didn't care about that either. He was proud to wear the evidence of their growing relationship. She'd claimed him and he'd never been happier to belong to someone. "I think you have more of my lipstick on your face than I do", she laughed. "I'm going to go fix my makeup. You should have breakfast."

He nodded and his eyes never left her and that gravity defying behind of hers as she sauntered out of the kitchen and disappeared down the hallway. He shook his head to rouse himself from whatever spell she had him under and grabbed an empty mug off the counter before reaching for the coffee pot. After making his coffee just the way he liked it, he set about toasting a bagel and covering it with the cinnamon cream cheese she had. He'd only taken a few bites when he felt something rubbing against his ankles.

He looked down and T'Challa was staring up at him in that indecipherable way cats seemed to have mastered. He smiled, taking the fact that the cat had initiated contact with him as a good sign.

"Well, good morning to you too, T'Challa." He squatted down and T'Challa only continued staring at him. "I think I'm gonna be around here a lot so we need to come to an understanding." He slowly lifted his hand and moved it toward the cat's head. Almost immediately, the cat swiped at his hand and ran off. He chuckled to himself and rose to his full height. That cat was going to be a challenge but it was one he was more than willing to take it on.

"I think your cat hates me", he announced when she reappeared in the kitchen with her makeup back to it's original state. He'd taken a seat at the kitchen island and was enjoying breakfast as he waited for her return. She ruffled his still damp hair as she passed him and laughed lightly.

"Don't worry. He's just used to to having me all to himself. He'll come around once he gets to know you." He laughed skeptically and took another bite of his bagel.

"Yeah…we'll see…" His eyes followed her as she went back to her breakfast. She was stunningly beautiful and she stole his breath every time he was around him. "You look amazing. I don't know how anyone gets anything done at that courthouse with you looking the way you do." She grinned and finished what was left of her bagel.

"I think they're just used to me…" He scoffed at her explanation like it was the single most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. The woman was flawless and as a former deputy who'd worked a courthouse a time or two, he knew she had to be the only topic of conversation every time she set foot in there. Sheriffs Deputies were trained to notice everything and there was no way they wouldn't make note of her otherworldly beauty or the gentle grace that punctuated her every move.

He bit his lip and caressed her body with eyes to the point where he noticed her shift under the weight of his stare. "How anyone could ever get used to you is beyond me…"

The air between them was quickly becoming charged and he could tell by the way she was looking at him that she felt it too. Their eyes locked for a few seconds as Rick calculated just how much leave time he had to blow. He was just about to get up from his seat, go over to her and lift her onto the countertop where he planned to mess up her makeup all over again when she looked away and grabbed a paper bag from the fridge and placed it on the island in front of him.

"So…I made you a lunch for work today. It's just some leftover jambalaya and some cobbler for dessert." He heard the barely concealed desire in her voice and raised an eyebrow remembering the trouble that cobbler had gotten them into the night before. He was sure their use of the cobbler wasn't exactly what her mother had in mind. It didn't really matter though. The cobbler was good but Michonne tasted better.

"You didn't have to do that but thank you."

"I wanted to and you're welcome." she glanced at her watch and frowned. "I have to get going. I have a meeting in an hour." He nodded and finished off the rest of his coffee as she slipped into a camel colored blazer and hoisted her briefcase over her shoulder. After checking his pockets to make sure he had his keys, wallet and phone before picking up the lunch bag she'd put together for him, he met her at the door and took the briefcase from her.

"Let me carry that for you." By the look on her face, he could tell she was thinking about arguing with him but instead, she laughed and picked up her purse.

"Always such a gentleman…"

"You deserve it." She opened the door and he followed her outside, waiting as she closed and locked the door behind them. He took her hand in his, threading their fingers together as they walked toward their vehicles on that sunny, spring morning.

When they reached her SUV, she unlocked it so he could open the door and put her bag inside.

"I guess this is officially the end of our date" she said. He nodded with a sigh, once again taking her hand in his before bringing it up to his lips. He'd been quietly dreading the moment he had to say goodbye to her knowing that it'd be at least five days before he saw her again and he'd miss her for every single second of them.

"Yeah…last night was perfect. Dinner, dessert…everything else…it was all perfect." She grinned and squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"I think so too. So when are doing it again?" He knew he was probably smiling like a damn fool but he didn't care.

"I'd love for you to come to King County this weekend. I'll make sure not to pick up a Saturday shift."

"I'll be there Friday night", she agreed with a nod. He smiled broadly and not wanting to mess up her lipstick again, he kissed her lightly on the side of her mouth. As he pulled away, he felt her hand on his cheek, leading him back. "That's not how you kiss me goodbye." That was all he needed to hear before covering her mouth with his in a deep kiss that ended all too quickly.

He brought his eyes up to meet hers and was struck by the depth of emotion he saw in them. Even though she hadn't said it, her eyes screamed how she felt about him. His heart felt like it was ready to burst and the words came tumbling from his lips before he had a chance to think about them further. He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

"I love you, Michonne." he whispered, with his heart in his throat but his toe was already in the water so he took a breath before diving all he way in. "I almost told you so many times last night but I wanted it to be…separate…if that makes any sense. I know this is fast but…I'm in love with you and you should know that."

His ears were ringing and his skin felt like it was burning from the inside. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away because now that he had her, he almost couldn't imagine not having her. He would go back to being that miserable guy sitting at the bar that night; the guy she'd saved by just giving him a chance. His anxiety only grew when he opened his eyes to see that hers had filled with tears and he started shaking his head like it would reset them to a time before he'd emptied his heart to her. Maybe he'd read her wrong. Maybe he'd just ruined the best thing he'd ever had.

He lifted his forehead from hers without meeting her stare. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said anything…"

She silently shook her head, smiling through her tears as she placed her hands on either side of his face and said the words that made him the happiest man in Atlanta…maybe even the entire state of Georgia.

"I love you too."

 **XXX**

She was the only thing his mind for the entire ride back to King County and his mood was so good that the two hour drive felt like nothing as he sang along…badly…to every sappy pop song that came on the radio. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy. It felt like unmarked territory for him even though he'd been in love before. At least he'd always believed that he and Lori had been in love at some point but he never remembered feeling so intoxicated...so completely consumed by it.

Lori had always complained that he never communicated with her. She was always telling him to "speak" but he always had trouble finding the words. But Michonne overwhelmed him to the point that the words just spilled out of him as made perfectly evident by the fact that he'd admitted to being in love with her after only knowing her a week.

More importantly though, and this was the part that made him almost delirious with satisfaction, she'd said she loved him too. The smartest, kindest, funniest, and most drop dead gorgeous woman he'd ever had the pleasure of knowing, loved him too and it was going to take him a while to completely process that. She had to go fix her makeup again after he kissed her with everything he had after hearing those words from her lips and he'd been in a daze ever since.

After the divorce, he'd honestly given up on love. For a long time, he didn't think he had anything else to give. What was left of his heart was so bruised...so damaged that he'd written the whole thing off as irreparable. But something about Michonne was healing those broken parts of him. She was making him whole again and after hearing what she'd been through with her ex, he desperately wanted to do the same thing for her.

He was still lost in his own head when he got home. His nosy neighbor, Mrs. Sullivan, from across the street couldn't even ruin his mood when she blatantly questioned him about why he hadn't come home after dropping Carl with his mother as soon as he'd pulled into his driveway. Another perk of small town living was that everyone is always all up in everybody's business

"I stayed in the city with a friend, Mrs. Sullivan. No need to worry." He gave her a smile and a wave as he went inside the house knowing full well that she'd be on the phone with his mother within the hour and she would be calling him soon after.

He was humming as he changed out of his clothes and into his uniform. Like clockwork, his cell phone started ringing. With a deep sigh, he brought the phone to his ear.

"Good morning, mama. Let me guess…Mrs. Sullivan called you?" He heard Loretta Grimes' trademark huff and he knew she was about to launch into one of her tirades. Rick loved his mother more than life but sometimes she forgot that he was a grown ass man with a son of his own, especially after his marriage imploded. When he was at his lowest, her mothering him helped him get through it. She'd done everything she could to make sure he didn't fall completely apart and he was grateful to her for it. Now that he was finally rounding the corner, it had become more than a little annoying.

"First, you don't bring Carl to church Sunday morning. Then, you make me meet you both for lunch at the diner instead of coming over for a good, home cooked meal. Now, Edna Sullivan tells me that you were out all night in Atlanta?! What is going on with you, Rick?" He put her on speaker and went back to getting ready for work.

"Nothing! I told you, Carl's friend Duane spent the night and they were up all night playing video games. By the time they woke up, it was too late for church and lunch at the diner was the only way I could get him to see you that would keep us on schedule." During his explanation, he'd done his best to keep his irritation with the conversation out of his tone but she gave him no similar courtesy as she continued her interrogation.

"Why were you in such a rush to get him back to Atlanta? You're usually dragging your feet on Sunday about taking Carl back. And I thought you and that…B-I-T-C-H…always met halfway…" His mother never cursed but he'd always gotten a laugh out of the way she would spell the words out like that would somehow lessen their meaning.

"Now, mama…you know I always try to get him back to his mother by five. And Lori's been giving me hell about the halfway thing lately...so even if I hadn't made plans, I probably would've driven all the way in."

"Those plans of yours wouldn't have anything to do with that woman you were kissing all over in the middle of the street last Sunday, would it?" He sighed deeply because he should've known that she would've heard about that.

"I wasn't…"

"It better be that same woman because I did not raise you to be running women all over the state of Georgia like your friend Shane!" His best friend had been the bane of his mother's existence since they were kids. According to her, Shane was the root cause of every bad decision Rick had ever made. If she knew Shane had been the one to set him up on a double date with Lori back in high school because he wanted to go out with her friend, Shane wouldn't be allowed to set foot in her house ever again.

"I'm not running women! There's only one woman and it's really new…"

"Nonsense! You're making a spectacle out of yourself in the middle of the street and staying overnight with her in Atlanta! I expect to meet any woman you plan on bringing around my grandson sooner rather than later."

"Yes, mamn."

"I want to have all the ammo I need to rub in Francine's face. Her precious daughter was sneaking off to cheap motels with her boss and she has the audacity to talk about you kissing someone! She's lucky I'm a Christian but I'm quickly losing my religion when it comes to that whole family!" Rick smiled to himself and shook his head. His mother was a piece of work and as much as he was beginning to enjoy their conversation, his watch told him he had to go.

"Look, mama, I have to get to the station…"

"Go on…I love you. Just remember I need to meet her…ASAP!"

"Ok, ok…I love you too mama", he said, laughing at her insistence that she meet his girlfriend. He just knew he'd better give Michonne fair warning before it happened. No one deserved going into meeting Loretta Grimes blind. Especially not the woman who could quite possibly be the love of his life.

 **XXX**

"…so the owner says the larceny was an inside job. He wants us to interview all of his employees at the store, but I thought we should take a look at the place…" It was a little after 5 and after a very slow afternoon at the station catching up on paperwork and wondering what Michonne was doing but forcing himself not to text her, Rick was driving across King County with his partner in tow.

The owner of a local convenience store discovered some money missing from the store safe and insisted that the sheriff's office look into it. Rick and Shane had picked up the case when it was transferred to the special investigations unit and were headed over to take a look at the scene.

"Mmm…hmm…" Rick briefly took his eyes off the road expecting to see his partner texting his latest conquest or setting up his next. Instead, Shane was looking around the interior of their department issue Charger like he'd never seen it before and sniffing around like a bloodhound. Shane was crazy, but that was especially weird.

"What the hell are you doing?", he asked just as they pulled into a parking space right in front of the convenience store they were supposed to be checking out.

"Nothin'...did you get a new air freshener for the car?" He frowned at Shane's question, wondering what that had to do with anything.

"No, why?" Shane shrugged and shifted in his seat so he was leaning against the car door facing him. The odd look on his face was practically unreadable, but when Shane raised an eyebrow and smirked in that devilish way of his, Rick knew where their conversation was headed.

"Because something in this car smells like those fancy soaps and shit women like to use so either you got laid last night or somebody's been foolin' around in our squad car!" Rick could feel the blush creeping up the sides of his neck and Shane must've noticed too because he started laughing hysterically. "I knew it! I bet you're glad I made you take that ol' love glove, now!" He wasn't about to tell him that they hadn't even used the one he'd given him because Michonne had been well prepared for their date. If he was being honest with himself, he didn't really want to to talk about it at all.

Unlike Shane, Rick had never been one to kiss and tell. Even in high school when all the other guys were bragging about their conquests in the locker room, he'd stayed quiet. He was more willing to take their ragging about being a virgin than tell them he wasn't one.

"I'm not going into detail about it with you…"

"No way, man! You gotta give me something! You ain't been with a woman since way before Lori left!" He was quickly becoming exasperated with that entire conversation and his knuckles were turning white from the tight grip he had on the steering wheel.

"It was a great date! What do you want me to say?"

"That's it? That's all you're going to tell me?"

"Michonne is the real deal. She's…pretty damn close to perfect if I'm being honest."

"She rocked your world didn't she? Had you speaking in tongues…" He knew he had to be six shades of red by how hot he felt all over and the shit-eating grin spread across Shane's face told him that his friend was enjoying how uncomfortable he was a little too much.

"Shane…"

"…that woman's got a body Lori can't even dream about and I bet she knows how to use it!" Even though he wholeheartedly agreed with Shane's assessment, Rick closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as Shane continued his teasing. "Now I understand why you were struttin' around the station today like nobody could tell you nothin'!"

"I was not!" He denial wasn't as strong as it could've been because the accusation may have been a little warranted. He might have carried himself a little taller and there may have been a slightly more authoritative tone in his voice when he was handing out assignments to the deputies. Shane twisted his lips and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah you were and I ain't even mad about it. Just tell me it was good and I'll leave you alone."

"No you won't! You're like a dog with a bone!" Laughter filled the car they both saw the truth and the humor in that one.

"You're right, I won't!" As his laugh faded, Shane jokingly punched his arm. "I'm happy for you, brother. I just wish you weren't already all in with her. Pretty soon you're going to be telling me to look for a new partner because you're up and movin' to Atlanta…" Rick laughed and shook his head. Shane was strangely willing to talk about him hitting fast forward on his relationship but if anyone dared mention the name Shane Walsh, a woman's name, and moving in in the same sentence, he'd probably lapse into catatonic schizophrenia.

"It's only been a week! I think we're both happy to just enjoy things the way they are for a while." Shane cocked this head to one side and squinted like he was trying to comprehend what he was saying. When he finally spoke, he didn't sound convinced.

"Really? With only seein' each other on the weekends?"

"We'll make it work."

"I don't know. If I were you, I'd want to curl up with that hot cup of cocoa every damn night!"

"C'mon, man…"

"All right, all right...but damn Rick! You gotta admit she's out of your league!" Of course she was out of his league. He didn't need Shane to remind him about that. He saw it every time he laid eyes on her. He pressed his lips together and cleared his throat.

"Regardless…we're not at the point where those kinds of conversations are even on the table."

"I hear ya...It ain't a decision you gotta make right now, but it's comin' and you know it. I'm just saying...your kid is in Atlanta and so is your woman. What in the hell would keep you here?"

Rick paused, letting Shane's words really sink in. Even a broken clock was right twice a day and he had to admit that his buddy was making sense. But it was too soon for all of that. He and Michonne had a lot of getting to know each other left to do and Carl liked coming to King County to see the friends he had to leave behind. It was more complicated that Shane was making it out to be, but Rick had to think about how much easier it would make everything if he were closer to Carl. He also wasn't oblivious to the idea that it would make his new relationship a whole lot easier too.

"...Other than your mama and she needs to go visit that damn brother of yours more often anyway." Rick rolled his eyes at the mention of his erstwhile younger brother. Louisiana was a whole other country as far as Loretta Grimes was concerned and Jeff would have to get married and have kid before she would even think about going down there.

Rick opened the car door and climbed out, waiting as Shane did the same before they started walking toward the convenience store.

"Yeah well…maybe I'll stay in King County because I'd miss your sparkling personality too much…" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another wide grin stretch across Shane's lips.

"Hell, maybe I'll transfer to the ATL too. Get me a whole new pool of women to choose from!" Rick shook his head as they reached the store, chuckling at the logic only Shane could come up with.

"If that happens, God help the women of Atlanta!"

 **XXX**

It was shortly after 10 pm when Rick finally made it home after work. After changing out of his uniform, he collapsed in front of the tv to settle down. He was thinking about eating the rest of the cobbler Michonne had packed for him when his phone rang and when he saw who it was, he suddenly wasn't so hungry any more.

"Michonne…hi." Sounding too eager to hear from her was another silly thing he didn't care about in his effort to completely care about everything about her.

"Hi. It's not too late to call is it? I didn't want to bother you at work and I kinda wanted to talk to you…not just text." He leaned back against the couch with the phone to his ear and a big smile on his face.

"You could never bother me at work or otherwise and it's always a good time to call. I didn't know how much I wanted to hear your voice until I heard it." He heard her laugh under her breath and could picture her laying across that bed of hers smiling into the phone.

"I missed you too. How was your day?"

"Long! I'm just glad it's over. How was yours?"

"Busy…both with work and with trying to dodge questions from my friend Andrea about our date."

"Really? Shane was relentless too."

"I'm sure he was! Did you thank him for unnecessarily helping you be more proactive?"

"No…but unfortunately he figured it out anyway and patted himself on the back for it."

"How'd he…" she paused and then laughed out loud. "He sniffed you out! I told you that you were going to smell like coconut all day!" He laughed to himself and threw his head back to rest on the back of the sofa.

"And I told you I didn't care and I still don't."

"I have to admit that I kinda like the thought of you smelling like me all day…it low key lets everyone know you're taken." Her voice was so damn sexy. He could listen to her all night long.

"Possessive…I kinda like that. How about you show me how possessive you can be when you come down here this weekend?" Had he really just said that? He'd never been as flirty in his entire life as he was with Michonne. For about the hundredth time since he'd known her, he had to ask himself what she was doing to him.

"That's actually the main reason I was calling. I forgot that one of my friends is having a birthday party for her husband on Saturday…" The high he was on only evaporated slightly at the news that she wasn't going to able to come to see him that weekend. He'd imagined them spending lazy mornings in bed together, going to the diner for her favorite pancakes, showing her his town, grilling steaks, drinking beer, and just spending time together. With only one day together, all that would have to change.

"It's ok. We can work something out for Sunday." He was trying to sound ok with the reduction in time but disappointment tinged his every word.

"Actually…I was thinking you could go with me…if you wanted to. I know that'll be back to back trips to Atlanta and it's Mother's Day…" A wide smile burst across his face and he answered quickly and definitively.

"I'll be there."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. I just have to get back in time to take my mama out to dinner and then next weekend you can come here."

"Ok…wait. Don't you have Carl next weekend?" He could almost see the cute little ridge that appeared between her eyebrows when she was confused.

"Yep…but I figure why delay the inevitable and next weekend is the King County Strawberry Festival. You can't miss that."

"I do love strawberries…but are you sure? About letting me meet Carl?" It was something he'd been so worried about not too long ago. Letting his son meet a woman that he knew he would adore when there was a chance it could all go away, terrified him. He just wasn't as worried about it going away any more.

"Of course! You've already met him. We may as well make it official." One thing he'd already learned about Michonne was that she was a thinker. He could hear the wheels turning in her head until she finally processed what he was telling her.

"Ok, then…I can't wait to officially meet your son."

"Good. He's looking forward to meeting you too." She sighed and he knew what was coming. "You have to go, don't you? Still being the level-headed one?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I have to be in court early tomorrow."

"That's too bad. I was hoping we could talk more about your possessiveness, counselor."

"That's a conversation for another time. Preferably when we're in the same room. Ideally, when we're both in said room minus a few articles of clothing…" The images that flashed through his mind were causing his body to react and he closed his eyes to try to reign those thoughts back in.

"You're killin' me, gorgeous…" His words rushed out in what was practically a moan and when he heard her laugh, it only made his situation worse.

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you this weekend."

"I'm going to hold you to that one." He'd never been more serious about anything in his life. He didn't get off work until 9 Friday night and he was already planning to drive straight to her townhouse. His earlier conversation with Shane floated through his head but he pushed it away just as quickly, content to fool himself into believing their relationship wasn't on the fast track.

"You're not the only one in this relationship who keeps their word", she whispered, interrupting his train of thought.

"Good to know…", he said, wishing he could keep her on the phone a little longer but knowing that it wasn't possible even as they both lingered in silence. "Sleep well and kick ass in court tomorrow."

"I will. Good night, Rick. I love you." Right then, he knew he'd never get tired of hearing her say those words.

"I love you too."

 **XXXX**

 **A/N: I wanted to get this posted before the show kills me Sunday night! :)**

 **So…I know I said "time jump" but you gotta go where the characters take you right? I think the time jump is going to be put off for a couple chapters. I think I have a few ideas for their next few weekends together. :) A real plot is slowly developing…**

 **Let me know what you all think!**

 **Also…T'Challa is based on my own very cute but very mean black cat, Gambit. His hobbies include knocking things over and swatting at people. :)**

 **Also, also…for any fans of Love Tumbles Down…I'm working on it I promise. I hit a wall with that one but I think I'm rounding the corner. :)**


	7. I Dare You

**A/N: Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! Your comments are seriously the best thing ever! I enjoy them so much, you have no idea. I look forward to them just as much as you look forward to new chapters! :) Here we go…**

 **I Dare You**

 **Inspired by: I Dare You by The XX**

Michonne had been an early riser ever since she was a child. If she had to trace it back to something, it was probably the fact that her parents always had jobs that made them have to get up at the crack of dawn which meant she did too so that they could make sure she got to daycare and later, school. After Noah was born, they got up even earlier to make sure they had time for the multiple drop off locations.

In high school, it was early period honors classes during the week and a job working at a grocery store on weekends to save money for college which was more of the same. Clark Atlanta wasn't cheap even with living at home and a handful of partial scholarships and grants. Then she'd met Mike and he was pre-med with a course load just as demanding as hers and they had to grab any time they could to be together. Sleep was a luxury between school, work, and being in her first real relationship.

Her full scholarship to the University of Virginia Law School made things easier but she was still up early every day for class or to study. Mike was at medical school back in Atlanta so her early mornings and late nights were filled with phone conversations to catch up on their lives. She was young, ambitious, and in love and the lack of sleep seemed more than worth it at the time.

When she came back to Atlanta for her job with the District Attorney's office, she'd been living with Mike and he liked to get up early to go to the gym. She'd go with him most days, just to have a little bit of time together before they both spent long days trying to build their new careers. Later, it was excitement over wedding planning that pulled her out of bed on days she didn't have to work, followed by months of not being able to sleep at all because her brain was too busy searching for any clues she might have missed or things she had to have done wrong to make Mike do what he did.

When she'd finally stopped blaming herself for what happened, she'd thrown herself into her work, fitness classes, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and anything else she could think of to fill the hole Mike had left her with; things that made sure she was out of bed and out of her head before 8AM.

So as she laid in her bed staring at Rick curled up on his side next to her, she noticed the clock on the nightstand behind him read 11:15am and she had a hard time remembering the last time she'd stayed in bed that late. They were supposed to be at Sasha and Abe's by 3:00 and and she still had no desire to get up.

He must've driven to Atlanta right after his shift because when he'd arrived at her house a little after midnight, he was still in his sheriff's office uniform giving her another chance to tell him how good he looked in it. She meant it too. She worked around men in sheriffs uniforms all day but none of them had ever captured her attention like he did. If she was being honest, it was the man inside the sheriff's uniform that had her so totally enraptured. He checked boxes she didn't even know she had before she met him. God forbid they ever fought because all he'd have to do was give her one of those slow smiles and say her name with that rough drawl of his and she'd forgive him anything.

One of said smiles was on his lips as he dropped his duffel bag on the floor by the door, and enveloped her in his warm embrace burying his face in the side of her neck.

"I missed you", he whispered as he left a trail of kisses down her neck to her collarbone. She sighed, thinking about how he'd never truly left her thoughts all week. She could only smile and hold him a little closer.

"I missed you too."

She warmed up some leftover Chinese food and they ate at the kitchen island as he told her about his day. It had become a habit to call each other at the end of the day and catch each other up on the day's events. While her calls were pretty regular, his were all over the place depending on his shift. He told her all about busting a mobile meth lab on the outskirts of the county that the sheriff's office had gotten a tip about. He and Shane had ended up chasing one of the suspects around a field for nearly an hour and she had to laugh when he admitted that neither of them were as young as they used to be.

She'd told him about the case she was working and how much she wanted to win it so the defendant would be locked up for the rest of his life and unable to hurt anyone again. When she'd gotten a little choked up talking about the 12 year old victim, he'd taken her hand in his, held it close to his heart and told her not to worry because she was going to win. There had been so much certainty and confidence in his eyes that some of it leapt over to her and she became a little more sure of winning too.

Even though it was the picture of domesticity, she felt it was a perfect night. T'Challa had even behaved himself more than usual. He sat and silently glared at Rick from across the room instead of actively trying to scratch or bite him. It was slight progress and as she gave Rick the tour she'd failed to give him the week before, the cat followed them from room to room.

Even though he'd tried his best to hide it, she'd noticed his yawns and red eyes so she'd taken him to her bedroom where she'd helped him out of his uniform and into her bed. When she climbed in next to him, he dragged her into his arms so that her head was resting on his bare chest and she'd draped her arm across his torso and her leg slid between his.

"Good night, Michonne…", he'd said, planting kiss on the top of her head as his fingertips gently brushed against her arm.

"Good night…" She'd kissed his chest and closed her eyes, content to let his gentle breathing lull her to sleep.

Those events and a very comfortable night of rest using him as her pillow, led her to that moment of watching him sleep as the sun peeked through the blinds casting its light across the room and the bed. He looked so calm as he slept, but she couldn't resist running her fingertips against the rough stubble on his cheeks and across his full, pink lips. His dark eyelashes fluttered for just a second but he didn't wake up so she shifted a little closer to him and slid her hand up to those silky curls at the nape of his neck that she loved. She smiled to herself thinking about how she'd already decided that he was never allowed to completely cut off those curls or else.

She slid closer until their foreheads and noses were touching and closed her eyes, breathing him in. That feeling was there again. The one that made her feel like she was a teenager getting drunk for the first time off Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill at a high school graduation party. He made her feel so out of control but so grounded all at the same time. She couldn't explain it. All she did know was that she loved everything about the way he made her feel. Overtime she was reminded of a poem by Nikki Giovanni where she wrote, _I love you because you saw me one Friday afternoon and decided that I would love you…_

That's how it happened for her on a Friday afternoon in King County when he'd stepped out of his comfort zone for her and when she saw him out there, using every ounce of confidence he had to remain standing, she had to step out of her comfort zone to join him.

Back in the day, her friends would've teased her and called her "sprung". They would've been wrong because it was more than that. She loved him and even she knew it was absolutely crazy. If anyone had asked her a month ago if she believed that you could fall in love with someone so quickly, she would've laughed in their faces but here she was irrevocably in love with Rick after two weeks.

She still had to quiet that little voice of doubt living in the darkest corners of her mind trying to plant seeds of caution; the part of her that had given up on love after having her heart broken so callously. It was a constant battle to not let that voice take over her thoughts but one that she was willing to fight it. Rick was worth it.

Her reverie was interrupted by his hand finding its way to her hip and she opened her eyes to find his cerulean eyes open and shining at her.

"I could get used to waking up like this…" She grinned at the sound of his raspy morning voice and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Me too." His hand had moved from her hip and slid underneath her tank top and his fingers were tracing circles across her stomach. "Good morning…"

"Good morning…" He drawled as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you last night…"

"It's ok. I think chasing bad guys through the fields of King County earns you a pass. Besides, you're awake now…" Her hand returned to the nape of his neck and pulled him in closer, parting her lips beneath the gentle pressure of his. The hand that had been on her stomach had moved around to her back to push her body toward him until her breasts were squeezed against his chest. She sighed as his tongue slipped past her teeth to tangle with hers.

His kiss lit a fire inside of her and it left her emboldened enough to push him onto his back and climb on top of him. His rumble of laughter broke their kiss and she sat up on her knees and just looked down at his handsome face for a minute.

"Are you saying we need to make up for lost time?" He was a beautiful man by any measure and he was looking at her like she'd hung the moon. The love she saw in his eyes was overwhelming and she hoped that he saw the same reflected in hers.

"That is exactly what I'm saying." She pulled her tank top over her head and threw it to the side, enjoying the way his eyes widened and his mouth fell open in awe. She took his strong hands in hers and brought them up to her lips before leaving them to cup her breasts.

"My god…you're so beautiful…", he mumbled, dragging his thumbs in circles across her hardened nipples and sending shivers throughout her body. She already felt him hardening beneath her and she trailed her hands down the flat plane of his stomach, her fingertips dancing across his abs to his pelvis.

"So are you…" His expression changed as his hands slid up to her neck and pulled her down to crush his lips against hers. He kissed her desperately and she felt it all the way down to her soul. She slid her body against his, grinding against his thigh as their kiss turned even more passionate.

His hands moved around to her back where she felt his fingers tightening against her skin before moving lower to slip into the back of her boy shorts. She gasped against his mouth when he took her behind in both of his hands and started gently kneading it. While his hands were busy with his favorite part of her body, hers returned to a favorite part of his. She captured his face in her hands and took control of the kiss away from him; drinking him in to the point where they were sharing the same breath.

She needed him and he seemed to know it because he slowly started dragging her underwear off her body. She allowed one hand to leave his face to slide down his chest and into his boxers where she found him ready and waiting to be freed. Reluctantly, she broke their kiss and rested her forehead against his as she reached for the nightstand drawer. Once she found what she was looking for, she sat up on her knees so that she was straddling him and smiled down at the look of wonder he had etched across his features. He always looked at her like he was amazed she was there; like she was part of a wonderful dream that he could wake up from at any minute.

"I'm not going anywhere…", she mused and as if he could read her thoughts, he smiled and nodded.

"You'd better not." She opened the foil packet and he sucked his breath in through his teeth and bit his lip as she unrolled the latex around him. His face turned an even deeper shade of pink as his breathing became more erratic and he sucked in his breath through his slightly parted lips.

She raised herself up slightly before slowly sinking down to fill herself with him, making his eyes slam shut and a guttural moan shake them both. She wanted to look at him. The way his face contorted in pleasure was too much of a turn on and she wanted to take it all in but she couldn't. Every time she moved, he just felt too good. Giving up, her head fell back and her eyes fluttered closed as she began to slowly roll her hips.

"Shit…Michonne…you feel so damn good…" His hands were on her hips as she moved her hips in slow circles using her hands to brace herself against his abdomen. He'd ceded complete control to her and he was only along for the ride as she set an achingly torturous pace.

"You like that?" His deep moans were answer enough but he also managed to give her a verbal response in a breathy rush.

"God, yes…" She tried to focus on the glorious sensations moving through her body as she rode him, her mind becoming just as filled up as her body was. She didn't realize he'd sat up until she felt his hands and mouth on her breast. His tongue repeatedly swept across her nipple adding to the pool of desire building inside of her. After spending what felt like hours on one, he moved to the other giving it the same expert attention. He held her even closer so his mouth could explore the space between her breasts, to the hollow of her throat, to her chin, and finally to her mouth where he claimed it definitively.

"You taste good too…I could kiss you all day…" He breathed those words between kisses and all she could do was hum in response. She was way past the point of words but she loved hearing him talk. The country drawl was more prominent when he was turned on and it stuck a chord in her that heightened her desire for him.

Her pace had grown frenzied, her breathing was out of control and she could tell that he was barely hanging on but he continued letting her have her way with him. His lips traveled along her jawline and up to her ear, his breath hot as he growled, "I love you, Michonne…god I love you…"

That was all it took to unleash the torrent of emotions that had been building inside of her. Her own voice was nearly unrecognizable shouting his name as her body tightened around him in wave after wave of unyielding rapture. She squeezed her eyes shut as she fought against the lightheadedness that threatened to overtake her.

He swallowed her moans with a kiss and took over control since she had released the reigns. Before she knew it, she was being pounded into the mattress as he hit her with thrust after soul shattering thrust. She almost couldn't believe it when she felt that familiar tightening like the coiling of a spring and she squeezed his body between her arms and thighs. Her nails dug into his back leaving red tracks across the pale skin there.

She was at a point where she though she might be able to form sentences again but she wasn't sure how long that was going to last. She wanted to tell him before she was overcome again. He'd made sure she heard his heart and he deserved to hear hers too.

"…love you…Rick…I-love you…" It was all she could manage but it was enough. His thrusts became a little bit harder and he finally let go. He shattered in her arms in a cacophony of curses, grunts and moans but through it all she heard her name as his body stiffened above her. That, mixed with a few more shallow thrusts was enough to help turn her back into a quivering mess right along with him.

Exhausted, he collapsed on top of her with his head resting on her shoulder and that's how they stayed as they struggled to return to reality. She ran her fingers through his hair and planted a few kisses on the top of his head until his breathing returned to normal. When it did, he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes looking like dark blue pools she wanted to dive into. He kissed her again, slowly, like they had all day to stay in that bed enjoying each other. As much as she wanted that, she knew they couldn't.

"Rick…the party starts in a couple of hours…" He sighed but continued to kiss her cheek and jawbone.

"I can't believe you expect me to move after that." Her laugh shook them both and she kissed his shoulder.

"Just think…the faster we get to this party, the faster we can leave it." He raised up off of her and rolled over onto his back groaning deeply and covering his face with his hands.

"Yeah…ok. I do have an idea though." She sat up on her elbow and smirked at him.

"What's that?" He looked over at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and she wondered how anyone could ever not love him.

"Sharing a shower would be a time saver, don't you think?" She shook her head and laughed as she calculated how long it would take for them both to get showered, dressed, and across Atlanta to Abraham's birthday party. They were already going to be late, she figured. Might as well be late for a good reason.

"No, I don't. But I'm willing to give it try."

 **XXXXX**

"I'm not even going to ask why you were late today…" Michonne turned her attention away from chopping tomatoes for the salad to find Sasha smiling at her as she put the finishing touches on her famous deviled eggs.

"It was traffic…" Sasha rolled her eyes and grabbed the paprika.

"Traffic? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Michonne could feel heat rising to her cheeks and she refused to look as Sasha because she knew that if she did, the truth would be written all over her face. Rick's shower idea had gone exactly how she'd expected it to go, making them even later than she originally thought. She wouldn't have traded that time for anything though. He smelled like coconut and shea butter again, but he still didn't care so neither did she.

"Sasha…"

"Girl, you know I'm teasing you. I'm glad you're happy, Michonne! Rick seems like he's one of the good ones." She glanced out of the kitchen window and found Rick with a beer in his hand, talking to Glenn and Maggie while Abe ran the grill. Of course she focused on her man and she was relieved to see how relaxed he looked out there with her friends. His Braves cap was pulled low over his eyes and he had his head cocked to one side and was smiling at whatever Maggie was saying. She sighed to herself and went back to chopping the salad.

"He's definitely a keeper."

"I can tell. You're practically glowing and he walked in her with his arm around your waist like he was letting everybody know he wasn't going anywhere! The man's got swagger! You'd never think he was about to face the firing squad." She frowned and raised an eyebrow at Sasha.

"What firing squad? Abe and Glenn welcomed him into their little brotherhood as soon as they saw the kind of beer he brought!" Sasha laughed but not before she shook the spoon she was holding at her.

"Yes they did, but you cheated by telling him their favorite kind! Abe didn't get that luxury when he met all of you…" She tossed the tomatoes into the bowl with the lettuce and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"That was because you enjoyed watching him squirm." A pink blush crept across Sasha's face and she just shrugged.

"Yeah, he's cute when he's uncomfortable. Doesn't matter though. Daryl and Andrea aren't here yet and there's no bribing either of them to behave." Sasha and Abe were the most unlikely match but they were so happy and Michonne was so happy for them both.

"Yeah, I know…" She was cut off by Maggie breezing through the door carrying the empty tray the meat had been on.

"Y'all should hear them out there! Not one of the three has a lick of sense! Rick fits right in with them!" She put the the tray in the sink and turned back to her friends. "What are y'all talking about in here?"

"Nothing…just Michonne's smoking hot new man!"

"Oh my god, I know! He's such a sweetheart too! But I already knew that from the way people back home talk about him." Maggie gave her a big grin and rested her hand on Michonne's arm. "You've obviously got him wrapped around your finger already…"

"That's not the only thing she's got him wrapped around…", Sasha mumbled with a secretive smile. Maggie raised her eyebrows and joined Sasha in looking at Michonne like they were waiting for her to give every little detail of what she and Rick were up to in the bedroom.

"Really? Spill it, girl!" Michonne shook her head and started chopping cucumbers for the salad.

"Really? Are we 16 or something?" Sasha and Maggie exchanged a look before Maggie sighed and lovingly squeezed her arm.

"Come on, Chonne! Give us old married ladies something to think about!"

"You two have got to be kidding me…FINE! It's…" Her thoughts were jumbled and she couldn't think of the right words to describe what Rick made her feel.

"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE UNTIL I GET IN THERE!" All three women laughed as Andrea walked into the kitchen wearing a smirk on her pretty face and immediately hugged them all.

"Andrea! You made it!" She nodded and her eyes immediately travelled beck to Michonne.

"Yeah and just in time for the dirt! You can continue now…"

"He makes me feel…everything…all the way down into my bones. When we're…together…I feel whole." The three of them glanced at each other before running over and wrapping their arms around her.

"AWWW! We're so happy for you!" That's why she loved the three women in that kitchen so much. They were the most supportive friends anyone could ever ask for.

"No that's it! You know I don't kiss and tell.." Sasha grinned over at Maggie and Andrea.

"You don't have to. All we have to do is look at either of you to know that y'all really love getting stuck in traffic!" Michonne rolled her eyes at Sasha's little innuendo but Maggie caught on fast and started laughing uncontrollably leaving Andrea the odd person out.

"Stuck in traffic? What the hell does that even mean?"

 **XXXXX**

"Listen to them in there cackling like a bunch of hens in a hen house…" Rick laughed to himself as Abraham took another swig of his beer and poked at the chicken and steaks on the grill.

"If Sasha heard you talking like that, she'd kick your ass, Abe…", Glenn chimed in causing Abe to break into a wide grin.

"She'd probably just call me an idiot and I've never claimed otherwise." Abe laughed and turned his attention back to him. "So…you and Michonne…what's going on there?" Rick just shrugged and looked up at the burly red head with the handlebar mustache. If he wasn't going to get into it with his own best friend, he wasn't about to get into with her friends.

"We're dating…getting to know each other a little better." Dating seemed like a horribly inadequate word for what they were doing but it was the only one he could think of. There wasn't a word to encompass what they were to each other after such a short amount of time that any one could understand.

"Just so you know, that fine woman deserves the whole world. If you ain't gonna be the one to give it to her, just move the hell on." Abe spoke with conviction and it Rick respected that. Glenn stepped up and gave Abe a pat on the back.

"Abraham, give the man a break!" Rick could tell that Glenn was the peacemaker of the group. He'd been the first to greet him after Sasha and Maggie and had pretty much talked and asked him questions nonstop ever since the ladies sequestered Michonne in the kitchen.

"What? I'm just looking out for Chonne…", said Abe, turning his attention back to his steaks as Glenn turned back to him.

"Sorry about him. He's a little low on social skills." Rick nodded and shrugged.

"No, I understand. I'm glad she has friends like you." He meant that too. It had only been an hour or so but he could tell they were good people. He'd never been a person who had dozens of friends. Of course he was friendly and could hang out with the guys with the best of them, but Shane was probably the only one he considered a true friend and they'd know each other since birth. Abe and Glenn seemed like the type of guys he could add to that friends list. Glenn was funny and friendly and Abe was definitely a nut but in a good way.

Glenn glanced back toward the house and Rick followed his gaze to where he could see Michonne, Maggie, and Sasha laughing through the window. A blonde woman he hadn't met yet had joined them and it looked like they were having a ball in there.

"Yeah…Michonne is like my sister. Me, Daryl, Sasha, and Michonne lived on the same street growing up and Abe and Maggie married into the madness."

"They're kind of a package deal if you get what I'm saying. Like a buy one get three free kind of thing."

The sound of a motorcycle filled the air around them and a few minutes later the man Rick recognized as Daryl came walking through the back gate dressed all in black with motorcycle boots despite the heat. He was smoking a cigarette and he barely gave him a second glance before walking over to greet them.

"Hey…y'all got another one of those beers?" Abe reached into the cooler and tossed a bottle to Daryl who used the edge of the picnic table to pop the cap.

"Daryl, you know Rick? He's here with Michonne." He could feel Daryl looking him up and down but he stood tall under the scrutiny. Something had told him that Daryl would be the difficult one. He'd been living in King County for a couple years running an auto repair shop with his brother Merle. Now Merle was probably the biggest asshole in the county and when Rick was still a deputy, he'd been called in the deal with Merle plenty of times. Daryl on the other hand was quiet. In fact, the only person in town he seemed to actually have conversations with was Carol at the diner. He'd sometimes wondered what they could possibly be talking about because they seemed like they were at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

"Hey, Daryl. Nice to officially meet you." He extended his hand in greeting, but Daryl ignored it completely and kept drinking his beer. He cleared his throat and retracted his hand.

"I seen you around town", Daryl rasped and Rick nodded.

"Yeah…you too." They silently stared at each other a little longer, sizing each other up and Rick heard the message he was sending loud and clear. If he hurt Michonne, Daryl was going to hurt him plain and simple. The thing was that Daryl and the rest of her friends had absolutely nothing to worry about. If he hurt Michonne, he'd deserve every bit of their wrath.

"Where the girls at?" Glenn nodded toward the house and Daryl headed that way immediately. Abe flipped the steaks and yelled after him.

"Daryl! Tell them the steaks are almost done so they need to shake a tail feather with the rest of the food." They watched as Daryl disappeared into the house and Glenn turned to Rick as soon as he was gone.

"Don't take it personally. He's not much of a talker." That was an understatement if he'd ever heard one. Rick nodded and finished what was left of his beer.

"I can tell." It was only a few minutes later when everyone poured out of the house with Michonne and Daryl pulling up the rear. He was talking and Michonne was laughing at whatever he was saying but right in the middle of it she glanced over and winked at him.

He felt a blush creep onto his cheeks as he watched her make her way over to them; spending a little too long thinking about how alluring her legs looked in the red shorts she was wearing and how much he enjoyed having those legs wrapped around him.

They placed all of the side dishes on the table as Abe cleared the steaks and chicken from the grill while proclaiming that their tastebuds were about to go on an extra special journey. Michonne moved to stand next to him and took his hand in hers.

"Everything good out here?" Her warm brown eyes looked almost golden in the sun and it was a struggle to remember that they weren't alone. He squeezed her hand and nodded.

"It's great."

"All right you two! Stop eye fucking each other so we can eat!" He could only laugh as Michonne rolled her eyes and led him over to the table as Abe's proclamation earned him a slap on the back of the head from Sasha.

"I can't believe I married an idiot…"

"Darlin…I've never claimed otherwise. Now, let's eat!"

The food was delicious and so was the conversation. He was introduced to Andrea, Michonne's friend from work, who reminded him of a female version of Shane. He was intrigued by the thought of those two meeting one day and the fireworks that were sure to go off. Andrea was also the only one to give him a real third degree. After she was done with him, he felt like he'd been on the witness stand for real. The only thing that made it stop was Michonne giving her a look he couldn't read, but obviously Andrea could.

Later, after Happy Birthday had been sung and cake had been eaten, they sat around and Rick got to listen as they told stories about their friendship and they were more than willing to share embarrassing ones featuring Michonne.

"Do you guys remember the time we went to visit Michonne at UVA and we were trying to go to that club in Richmond and we were stopped at the top of this hill but it was raining so hard that you couldn't see the road…" Sasha started and Michonne closed her eyes and shook her head with a laugh.

"Oh my god…and Glenn was driving and we thought the road curved but it didn't…" Rick had to smile at the little sheepish look she had on her face. It might've been the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"And y'all dumbasses ended up stuck on some damn railroad tracks!" Daryl added his part with a disgusted little snort.

"Holy shitballs! How have I never heard this story?!" Abe's face was red with amusement. Sasha shook her head at her husband and wagged her finger at Daryl.

"What do you mean, y'all? You were there too, Mr. Dixon!" He shook his head and took a long drag from his cigarette.

"But it was you three that thought the road curved!"

"Whatever!" Michonne dismissed him with a wave of her hand but at that point, Rick was more interested in how the story turned out.

"What happened?", he asked. Glenn shrugged and he could've sworn he saw his cheeks turning a little pink.

"We tried to push it off but it was really stuck and this was before everybody had cellphones…", he began but then Michonne jumped in.

"…so Daryl saw some blue lights flashing at the top of the hill so he goes running up there to get help…" Sasha was laughing almost uncontrollably at that point, so much so that she had to pause. Rick glanced at the faces of the other people at the table who were not involved with the story and Abe, Maggie and Andrea were all laughing just as much as he was. His attention returned to Glenn who was continuing with the story.

"…and this car drives by on the road that we obviously drove off of and this guy asked if we needed help. We're like yeah, but then we let Michonne drive off with this total stranger…" Having slightly regained her composure, Sasha nodded and reached for Michonne's hand.

"…and 30 seconds later we were like shit, we just let our friend get into a stranger's car and drive away! We're never going to see her again!" Rick spun his attention incredulously to Michonne who was covering her eyes with her hand. His mind immediately started running away with all of the different horrible scenarios that could've happened because of how stupid that decision was.

"Idiots didn't get a license plate or nothing!" Daryl complained, but Rick could tell he was trying not to smile. Michonne dropped her head against Rick's shoulder and he could feel her smile.

"In hindsight, that was the absolute dumbest thing I've ever done but he was nice! He drove me around until we saw a police car."

"Meanwhile, we were completely panicking at this point thinking not only do we have to get off these tracks but we have to file a missing persons report on Michonne! But then Daryl comes back with the police car from the top of the hill and Michonne comes back about 5 minutes later with two more police cars."

"So there we are stuck on railroad tracks in the pouring rain surrounded by three police cars with their lights flashing and everything!"

"Me and Michonne climbed into the back of one of the police cars and Daryl and Glenn stayed out in the rain with the cops as they figured out how to get it unstuck."

"How'd they do it?" Maggie asked.

"They were finally able to push the damn thing off with one of the police cars." Daryl answered.

"Then one of the cops told us that we were about a mile away from the worst neighborhood between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta", Michonne added.

"Needless to say, we never made it to the club", said Glenn and Sasha nodded her agreement.

"No. We went and ate nachos at this restaurant looking like a bunch of drowned rats but it was still a fun night!"

"It was so much fun!", Michonne was laughing but Glenn only shook his head disbelievingly.

"I don't know if fun is the word. When my dad saw the scrapes on the bottom of the car he was pissed and I told him I ran over a traffic cone! Imagine if I'd told him the truth!" Maggie smiled and hugged his shoulders.

"Aww…Daddy Rhee would've gotten over it!"

"The Daddy Rhee you know is not same one I had at 22! He's mellowed out a lot!"

As everyone else at the table fell into separate conversations, Rick placed a gentle hand on Michonne's knee and she looked up at him with her eyes still teary from laughing so hard.

"Tell me you're not getting into cars with strange men anymore…" She slapped his leg and started laughing again.

"That was the only time, I swear!" Sasha must have heard and she raised an eyebrow and leaned over to him conspiratorially.

"That wasn't her first time in the back of a police car…but that is a story for another time…", She tried to whisper but Michonne heard every word and her eyes went wide. Rick leaned his head to the side and smirked at her.

"Is that a fact?" Michonne couldn't even look at him. She only glared at Sasha.

"Shut up, Sasha!" Rick laughed and made a mental note to ask her about that one later. As the night wore on, he was even more assured that he was going to like spending time with that group.

 **XXXXX**

It was entirely too early the next morning when he sat on the edge of the bed and gently tucked one of her locs behind her ear. They'd stayed at Sasha and Abe's much later than either of them intended but it had been too much fun to leave. At the end of the night, Maggie, Sasha, and Andrea had hugged him like he was their old friend too letting him know he'd won them over. As for the guys, Glenn and Abe talked about going to see the Braves play and asked if he was interested. It was guy code for saying that he was one of them now and Rick appreciated it. As for Daryl, he had to take the fact that he was actually making conversation with him by night's end as a good sign.

She looked like an angel as she slept and he hated to wake her but he couldn't leave without saying goodbye. His mama had requested his presence at church for Mother's Day in addition to their annual dinner at Dominic's Italian Bistro which happened to be the pinnacle of fine dining in King County. Service started at 10:30 and he had to get home and change. It had been barely 6am when he'd reluctantly extracted himself from her arms to go get ready to leave. Now, it was time to go and as much as he knew he had to, he didn't want to.

His palm cupped her cheek and she finally started to stir.

"Michonne…" Her eyes slowly blinked open and a sleepy smile appeared across her lips.

"Hey…it's time?"

"Yeah." She stretched and sat up in bed. "Sorry for having to wake you, but I need you to come lock the door behind me. I can't leave unless I know you're safe in here."

"It's a safe neighborhood", she argued but he was having none of it. He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to her. It was something he didn't even want to think about.

"Nowhere's safe enough to keep your doors unlocked." He was grateful when she finally sighed her acceptance of what he was saying and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So overprotective…" He nodded his complete agreement with that statement. It was probably one of his most defining characteristics.

"Only for the people I love." She squeezed his hand and he moved so she could get out of bed and his eyes followed her nude form appreciatively as she went to grab her robe that was hanging on the back of the door. "You're making leaving real difficult on me, Michonne…" She glanced over her shoulder with her version of a cocky grin just before slipping into the silky garment that only fell to her mid-thigh.

"Am I? I don't mean to…" Her locs were loose around her face and she looked like an absolute goddess standing there. The tightening in his pants told him he had to leave before the distraction became too much to ignore.

"Don't play coy. You know exactly what you do to me. And we're both gonna suffer if I don't make it back home for church with my mama." Her face turned serious and he saw the hint of nervousness in her eyes that was there every time he brought up the fact that she was meeting his family next weekend.

"You're right. I don't want her to have any reason not to like me when I meet her next week." He crossed the room and placed his palm on her cheek.

"Hey…look at me." She did as he asked and he smiled down at her. "My mama's gonna love you and Carl's gonna love you too so stop worrying so much." He punctuated his words with a confident kiss. He knew they were going to love her because how could they not? She was the most amazing woman he'd ever met and she had a way about her that made people want to be around her.

"Ok, I'll try", she agreed with a smile that he eagerly returned.

"Ok." He took her hand and together they walked out into the hallway and then to the living room.

"What are you going to do with the rest of your day?", he asked.

"I'm going to call my mom but we won't celebrate until I'm down there in two weeks.", she answered with a shrug. That was news to him and selfishly his first thought was that he wasn't going to see her for a while after next weekend.

"You're going to Florida?" She nodded and looked up at him and he saw the exact moment she realized that she hadn't told him that.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. My brother and I are going for Memorial Day weekend. I leave Thursday night and come back Monday."

"I'm going to miss seeing you that weekend but at least I won't feel guilty about working all the way through. Carl's going to be with his mom and it's usually a busy weekend for us at the station."

"I'm sure but I'm going to miss seeing you too."

"I'll pick you up Friday when I come get Carl, ok?" She nodded and wrapped her arms around his midsection, hugging him tightly against her.

"You be good this week", she whispered. He took her face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs against her cheeks as he stared into her gorgeous eyes. The goodbyes got harder every time time they did it and Shane's suggestion about moving to Atlanta floated through his mind briefly before he shook it away.

"I always am. I love you." He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with everything he had and her body practically melted into his. When it ended, she hugged him tighter with her head resting against his shoulder.

"I love you too."

He'd put his bag by the door so it would be ready for him but then he moved to grab it, he found T'Challa curled up on top of it.

"I don't think T'Challa wants me to go." She looked down and laughed when she saw that her cat had claimed his bag as a new bed.

"See? I told you he'd come around." He was still skeptical though, so he slowly reached for the bag expecting the cat to move, but T'Challa stayed put and kept challenging him with that creepy stare that cats seemed to have mastered. When his hand got a little too close, the cat had the nerve to hiss at him. "T'Challa! No!" She scooped up the cat and it nuzzled her chin lovingly.

Rick shook his head and grabbed his bag, thinking the whole time that he was getting played by a cat.

"Looks like we still have a ways to go…"

"I guess so", she agreed as he opened the door and turned to look at her one last time. "I'll call you later." She nodded and gave him a smile to drive home on.

"Sooner is better."

 **XXXXX**

 **A/N: The railroad track story is, embarrassingly enough, so very true. It happened to me and my friends a long time ago. :) As always, thank you for reading and please let me know what you think!**


	8. Crazy Lucky

**A/N: Sorry for the delay on this one. All I can say is life got in the way. Thank you for the follows, faves and reviews! I love reading them so much! You all are the best readers ever!**

 **This chapter got too long so I'm splitting their weekend at the King County Strawberry Festival into two. I hope y'all like Part 1!**

 **Chapter 8: Crazy Lucky**

 **Inspired by Crazy Lucky by Better than Ezra**

Rick had the biggest smile on his face watching Michonne and Carl discuss all the ways the Marvel Cinematic Universe was better than the DC Universe as they enjoyed burgers, fries, and shakes at a place called Grindhouse Killer Burgers that Michonne had recommended.

He was being completely shut out of the conversation but he didn't mind. He was quite content to watch them bond over their shared love of geeky things. It had been like that from the minute he'd introduced his son to her. As soon as he'd guided Carl through Michonne's front door, the two of them just took to each other. Carl was asking her rapid fire questions about everything and Michonne just smiled and answered all of them.

Even T'Challa took to the kid. Carl was allowed to pet him within 5 minutes of meeting him while Rick still got a swipe if he even looked at the cat too close. By the time they'd left for the restaurant, Rick had been relegated to a supporting character in the Carl and Michonne show.

Michonne had suggested the restaurant earlier in the week when he'd mentioned that Carl's favorite food was burgers. The place was sci-fi themed and as soon as they walked in, Carl's eyes had nearly bugged out of his head. It almost happened again when he got his giant burger and fries. The only time he'd stopped talking since he met Michonne was when he bit into that thing.

The burger was good and he polished his off while Carl and Michonne got to know each other better. Carl was visibly enjoying every minute of it, and Rick was having a hard time remembering the last time he'd seen his son so animated. He was hanging on every word Michonne said and she was charming Carl the same way she'd completely enraptured him.

It wasn't until he was smacked in face by a french fry that he snapped out of his thoughts to find both of them laughing at him.

"Direct hit," Carl exclaimed with a laugh.

Michonne's eyes were shining and she was still grinning as she bit into a fry. "Earth to Rick!"

He couldn't help but laugh at how amused they were. "I was just thinking…what did I miss?"

Michonne shrugged and shared a look with Carl. "Nothing…but Carl just volunteered you to make pancakes tomorrow morning."

"What?"

Carl polished off the last of his fries and said,"Yeah, dad. Your pancakes are really good!"

He shook his head, wondering how two people could love food as much as his son and his girlfriend. Yet another thing the two of them had in common. "First of all, how are you two even thinking about food right now? You just inhaled those burgers like you were starving!"

Almost simultaneously, Carl and Michonne glanced at each other and their empty trays and shrugged.

"We were hungry…and so were you! Yours was gone in 5 minutes flat!"

He shook his head at their reasoning. "But I'm not the one talking about pancakes!"

Michonne leaned back in her chair. "We have to plan ahead, right Carl?"

Carl nodded. "…and we have to make sure he has all the stuff. Dad hates going to the store."

Michonne raised an eyebrow. "Does he now?"

Carl was smiling wide and sipping on his chocolate shake but he stopped long enough to answer. "Yeah, grandma is always asking him if he's planning on giving his whole paycheck to the diner."

"Carl…," he began, trying to stop his son before all of his single dad secrets were spilled.

"It's true, dad," his son insisted and Rick sighed, scratching at the stubble on his cheeks. His eyes drifted over to Michonne, with her straw in her mouth and enjoying their conversation like it was a hit tv show.

"I don't hear you complaining about eating at the diner or ordering pizza..."

Carl considered what he'd said for a split second before shaking his head. "No, I like all that stuff but I miss your pancakes. They're so much better than mom's."

Michonne's smile grew even wider and she reached across the table to squeeze his hand. "Well I can't wait to try these famous Rick Grimes pancakes!"

He held on to her hand for a minute before lifting it up and brushing his lips against her knuckles. "Sounds like I don't have a choice in the matter."

She shook her head, her eyes never leaving his, and he wondered how he'd even gotten so lucky to find this woman. "Well, we better get moving if we're going to make it home before the stores close. I have to get stuff for pancakes."

 **XXXXX**

The Piggly Wiggly was closest to his house and Rick figured it was as good a place as any to get the things they needed. He was responsible for getting the pancake ingredients while Carl and Michonne made sure he got everything else they needed like bacon, maple syrup, and fresh fruit but both of them went a little overboard with extras. He finally had to draw the line at the family pack of Big Cat bars.

The store was packed for a Friday night and he guessed it was people getting the last few things they needed for the festival. He'd shopped at that grocery store his entire life but he'd never been greeted more than he was that night, holding hands with Michonne as they perused the aisles. Almost every customer in the store made a point of stopping them to say hello.

At first, he told himself they were looking at Michonne; her long, printed skirt and sleeveless top when paired with her gold sandals and her locs piled into a bun on top of her head, made her look like a bohemian queen and they just didn't have women like that in King County. He could barely keep his eyes off of her so he really couldn't blame them for not being able to.

Then, he noticed the whispers every time Carl would grab her hand; dragging her away from him to pick some junk food they didn't need from the shelf. He felt the stares when he pulled her into his arms to press his lips against the curve of her neck and he realized that King County's gossip hotline was getting kicked off a little sooner than he'd expected.

Then, they pulled into his driveway and seeing Mrs. Sullivan's house reminded him of the hell that was going to break loose when Mrs. Sullivan woke up to find a strange car in his driveway. They'd decided to drive Michonne's suv instead of his truck from Atlanta just for the extra room it provided for her and Carl's bags. Rick could only imagine the flurry of phone calls it was going to set off in the morning.

After putting her bag into his bedroom and giving her a short tour of his home, Carl tugged Michonne down the hallway to his room to show off his comic book collection. He stood in the doorway watching them for a minute and saw a vision of his whole weekend being spent competing with his own son for her attention. Laughing to himself, he left them alone to put the groceries away, that thought making him happier than it had any right to. His son and his girlfriend were quickly becoming best friends and he took that as even more proof that the relationship they were jumping headfirst into was meant to be.

After another hour of them bonding over Mario Kart, he told a disappointed Carl that it was time for bed. While Michonne went into his room to get ready for bed, he made sure Carl was set for the night and made a point to pull the door to Carl's room shut behind him when he left.

She was sitting on the bed in a pair of silky pajama bottoms and a tank top with her hair tied back in a scarf, rubbing a cream into her skin. She smiled when she saw him and kept at her task.

"Is he all tucked in for the night?"

He nodded and stripped out of his shirt and unbuckled his pants. "Yeah. I think you wore him out." A smirk worked it's way across his lips when he felt her checking him out. At least he knew he wasn't he only one who couldn't keep his eyes off the other.

"I don't know about that. He kicked my ass repeatedly in Mario Kart. I'm the one worn out! I'm so going to practice for the rematch though," she laughed.

He stepped out of his jeans and grabbed his pajama bottoms from the end of the bed. "That's a good idea since you are his new best friend and everything."

"I guess I just have a way with Grimes men," she said.

He grinned and sat behind her on the bed, taking over massaging the lotion into her shoulders and back. Jesus, she smelled good; like coconuts and sunshine and happiness. "You certainly do."

She rolled her neck to the side and sighed as she relaxed under his touch. "He's a great kid…and he has a pretty great dad."

He brushed his lips against her shoulder and his hands found their way under her shirt and were caressing her stomach and sides. Her skin felt like silk and touching her only made him want to touch her more. "He makes it easy on me."

His fingertips drifted underneath the waistband of her pajama bottoms as his mouth focused on the apex of her neck and shoulder; alternating between licks and nibbles and her head fell back against his chest.

"Rick..."

"What? I finally have you all to myself. I have to take advantage of it," he whispered as his fingers reached their target. She shuddered at his touch; her body reacting to him in obvious ways. He began to gently stroke her; adding to the wetness he'd found there. He slowly inserted one finger, then another while his other hand occupied itself with her firm breast; rubbing until her nipple hardened into peaks.

"It feels weird...doing this with your son right down the hall…," she sighed and he just laughed into the side of her neck. "I know it's normal, but what if he hears us?"

He wanted to reassure her; tell her that Carl had been a heavy sleeper since birth so she had no reason to worry about him waking up. Instead, he began thrusting his fingers inside of her building up to a steady rhythm. She arched backwards; wantonly writhing against him with her breathing heavy and her body burning with desire.

He was already painfully hard and she was grinding her hips against him matching the pace of his fingers. His breathing grew heavy like hers and he thought about pulling her underneath him and burying himself inside of her. But he kept up his attentions; wanting to feel her come apart in his arms. He could feel that she was almost there. Her little gasps and moans were coming more frequently, and her hands gripped the thin fabric of his pajama pants as her body trembled with pleasure.

"We'll just have to be really quiet," he murmured, teasing her earlobe with his teeth. Her whimpers and short breaths were driving him crazy as he kept coaxing her toward her peak. Her eyes fluttered open for just a second and the naked desire pooled in her dilated pupils nearly sent him over the edge. "Jesus, Michonne...you're so beautiful like this..."

"Rick...I'm...oh god..." she stuttered, biting her lip as words failed her. She stiffened in his arms and her jaw fell open with the beginnings of a satisfied groan. He quickly leaned forward to muffle the sound with his mouth, swirling his tongue around hers as she shattered against him.

He held her as she came back down, covering her neck with languid kisses as her breathing returned to normal. Her eyes were still dark with need when she opened them, and her lips curved into a half-smile.

"You play dirty, sergeant…," she giggled.

"As long as you liked it…," His words trailed off as he couldn't resist kissing her again.

Surprising him, she broke the kiss, turned around in his arms and straddled his lap, her hands quickly becoming lost in his hair. "Oh, I liked it," she purred, grinding a bit on his throbbing erection and making his mind go completely blank. "Now. Let's see how quiet you can be…"

 **XXXXX**

She was still asleep when he woke up; her lithe body curled into his side with one arm thrown across his bare chest and her gentle breathing the only sound filling the room. Sunlight was barely peeking through the blinds letting him know it was still very early.

They'd spent most of the night reveling in each other's bodies after the awkwardness wore off, their quiet giggles and pleasured moans carrying on well after midnight. After collapsing in exhaustion the last time, she'd snuggled into him and promptly fallen asleep. He hadn't been too far behind, taking a few extra minutes to reflect on how perfect their day had been before falling asleep.

He always slept so well with her next to him but as much as he wanted to stay in bed, he gently extracted himself from her arms and got to his feet. They had a busy day ahead of them and it couldn't get started without the pancakes he'd been strong armed into making.

After a quick shower and dressing in a pair of khaki shorts and a brown t shirt, he noticed she'd pulled his pillow into her chest and was cuddled into it like it was him. She was adorable and he smiled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture of her before leaving her to her dreams.

He'd just gotten the mixing bowl down from the cabinet when Carl came padding down the hallway still in his pajamas, and rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, dad," he mumbled, his voice still gritty from sleep.

"Morning son. I'm surprised to see you up this early. You must be real excited about the festival today."

Carl nodded and stumbled into the kitchen. "I am…can I help you with breakfast?"

"Sure. Wash your hands and get me the eggs and milk out of the fridge and then you can set the table."

Carl followed his directions to the letter. "Where's Michonne?" He asked.

"She's still sleeping. I'm sure she'll wake up as soon as we get the bacon going."

"Ok."

The question was nearly burning his tongue so instead of fighting it, he decided to just ask it. "So…it looked like you and Michonne hit it off…"

Carl shrugged and retrieved the silverware out of the drawer. "I've never met a grown up that knows so much about comics. And she's good at Mario Kart too."

"She told me you whooped her butt," he laughed.

Carl's face brightened and he joined in his father's laughter. "She almost beat me every time! Was she mad I didn't let her win one?" asked Carl.

He shook his head. "No. You just made her want to practice for next time."

"She's pretty cool."

He beamed over at his son who was arranging the forks and knives just like his grandma showed him. "I'm glad you like her."

"She's going to be around a lot more, isn't she? Because she's your girlfriend?"

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah. I think she's going to be spending a lot of time with us."

"Good. You're a lot cooler too when she's around," said Carl and Rick wasn't exactly sure how to take that.

"Thanks a lot, son..."

Carl rolled his eyes, "I mean...I know I'm just a kid but you've been really sad since everything happened with Mom. Even before you guys broke up."

"Carl..."

"You're happy again with Michonne. I can tell," he continued, "And mom is happy now. You should be too."

Rick stared at his son for a minute, overwhelmed by the love he had for him. When everything went down with Lori, his only concern had been keeping Carl as far away from it as he could. He'd done the best he could but Carl had still seen how broken he'd been. It was humbling; and even though he knew he couldn't guarantee that Carl would never see him like that again, he was going to try his hardest to prevent it.

"How did I end up with such a smart kid?" He asked, his voice thick with love for his son.

Carl shrugged and grabbed the plates off the shelf. "I don't know. Everybody says I'm just like you."

Soon, the bacon and fruit salad were done, coffee was made, the table was set, and the last of the pancakes were in the pan. He'd let Carl choose the soundtrack for the morning and he'd gone with a playlist filled with classic rock from The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles. The sound of the shower alerted him that Michonne was up so the music was loud and he and Carl were singing along with _Jumping Jack Flash_.

"Good Morning..." Her voice pulled his attention away from the pancakes and he looked up to find her standing at the end of the hallway looking too beautiful for that early in the morning. Her hair was back in a ponytail and she looked like she'd fit in perfectly at the festival in her denim shorts and pink sleeveless shirt.

"Good morning, Michonne! Breakfast is almost ready," Carl announced, bringing Rick's attention back to the pancakes.

She joined them in the kitchen, coming to stand next to him at the stove and running her palm over his back.

"Hey...we didn't wake you, did we?" He asked.

She shook her head and kissed the side of his mouth. "No, but you two are having way too much fun out here. Everything looks delicious!"

Carl squeezed in beside her. "I made the fruit salad...after dad cut the strawberries for me...but I set the table!"

She ruffled his hair as he grabbed the bowl of fruit to take to the table. "I can't wait to try it and the table looks great!"

He flipped the last of the pancakes onto the serving plate and turned off the burner. "Coffee?" He asked; pulling a mug from the cabinet in anticipation of her answer.

She nodded excitedly when he handed it to her. "Yes please."

He smiled and filled the mug a little over halfway. "Cream and sugar are on the table. I made sure to put out extra for you." The smirk on her lips made him smile even wider.

"Don't worry. I might save you some," she teased as she joined Carl at the table. "Gosh, I could get used to this kind of treatment!"

"We hope so...," he said, grabbing the plates with the pancakes and the bacon and bringing them to the table before taking his seat.

"Now remember, these aren't Carol's famous sweet potato pancakes…"

"I'm sure they're great," she said as she loaded her plate down with pancakes, bacon, and fruit.

"Carl likes to exaggerate…"

Carl sat up straighter in his chair and Rick didn't think it was possible for a ten year old to look as offended as he did. "I do not!"

"I just want you to manage your expectations," he continued. He had no idea why he was so nervous. They were just pancakes but he was consumed with hope for her to like them.

Michonne covered hers with butter and syrup, raising an eyebrow as she cut into the them and took a bite. He chewed on his lip as he waited for her reaction.

She ate a few more bites and even tried the fruit salad before sipping from her coffee mug. Her eyes were apologetic when she looked up from her plate and he felt his heart drop. Their perfect morning was being shattered by his terrible pancakes.

"I'm sorry, Rick...", she began but he immediately shook his head.

"Hey, I get it. I'm pretty sure there's cereal in there...", he said, trying to hold back his disappointment. Even Carl looked a little deflated as he pushed his food around on his plate.

He felt her hand squeeze his thigh under the table and when he looked up, she looked like she was trying her best not to laugh.

"I'm sorry...because these are so good that you're going to be responsible for making breakfast whenever we're together," she grinned.

Rick blinked a few times before laughing and starting to make his plate. "You got me."

"I got both of you! Of course they're good," she laughed. "Your faces were priceless though!"

"We owe you one, right Carl?"

"Yep! It's gonna come when you least expect it too!"

"We'll see," she giggled, before winking at Carl. "By the way, your fruit salad is really good too."

He could've sworn he saw his son's cheeks turn pink and all of his talk about getting her back abruptly ended. "Thank you," Carl mumbled before digging in to the food on his plate.

Rick shook his head and laughed as he started eating too. It had been less than two days and the three of them already felt like a family.

They were all enjoying their breakfast when Michonne beamed up at both of them and said, "So…tell me all about this strawberry festival!"

 **XXXXX**

They spent the morning wandering around the bazaar where local artists and craft makers were selling their creations to an eager crowd. Michonne was even carrying a bag holding a wind chime with silver elephants as the chimes that she knew her mother would love and she'd spent so much money on handmade jewelry that Rick would block her view every time they passed another jewelry booth.

She was glad they'd eaten a huge breakfast because there were so many booths filled with delicious looking treats that made her mouth water. That didn't stop Carl who eagerly accepted every free sample he was offered, from strawberry battered deep fried Oreos to bacon infused strawberry jam. Watching him eat made her even more full.

The one thing she couldn't get over how every single person they passed made a point to greet Rick. From old men tipping their hats to younger women offering their best smiles, he was well-loved in his little town and being from Atlanta, she wasn't used to that.

Of course, the fact that he was holding her hand like it was a precious treasure probably inspired some of them to approach him. He'd introduced her to at least 15 people since they arrived and she though he looked a little prouder every time he said, "my girlfriend Michonne". To be honest, she'd never get tired of hearing it but the whole thing felt like a coming out party.

They stopped at the table directly in front of the church where a few older ladies were enticing Carl with one of the strawberry tarts they were selling.

The younger of the two smiled as soon as she saw Rick. "Hey, Rick!"

She felt his hand tighten around hers as he answered. "Hi, Mrs. Sullivan."

Michonne noticed the woman's eyes assessing her from head to toe as she continued talking to Rick. "I saw that car in your driveway this morning and your truck was gone. Is everything ok?"

Rick nodded. "Mrs. Sullivan, this is my girlfriend, Michonne, and that's her car in my driveway. I left my truck in Atlanta."

Carl was between bites of his tart and he looked at his dad. "Her car is cooler than your truck. We should drive it all time."

Rick ignored his son and came back to the conversation and explained to Michonne, "Mrs Sullivan lives next door."

Visions of Mrs. Kravitz spying on Samantha Stephens danced through her head and her bright smile was more from that than for the woman she was being introduced to. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Sullivan."

"Hello...," the woman muttered, still giving her a classic side eye, and making her feel a little unwelcome for the first time all weekend. Rick must have noticed too because he let go of her hand but draped his arm over her shoulders, pinning her to his body. He probably would've said something too had the woman not decided to continue talking. "Carl, how's your mama doing?"

Her question to Carl answered all of the questions she had in her mind about Mrs. Sullivan. Even after everything that Rick told her, and she was sure the whole town knew the story too, Mrs. Sullivan was firmly Team Lori.

Carl had just finished answering when a voice yelling from the church interrupted everything. "Hey, Rick! Your mama saw you out the window and she says she needs you!"

"Ok...," he answered, before being his attention back to her. "You ready to meet my mama?"

She quickly forgot about the woman working the table as she focused on the milestone moment that was about to go down. She really hoped that Rick's mom was friendlier than Mrs. Sullivan.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she said, steeling herself to meet the most important woman in her boyfriend's life. A small hand wrapped itself around hers and she glanced down to see Carl grinning up at her.

"Grandma Loretta is really cool! You're going to like her a lot. Right, Dad?"

An amused half-smile danced on Rick's lips. "I think they're going to get along just fine," he said and she wondered if he was was trying to reassure her or himself. Taking hold of her other hand, he brought it up to his lips before tucking her arm through his. "Let's get this over with."

Without sparing another glance at Mrs. Sullivan, he guided her into the church and back through the offices toward the kitchen.

Her mouth fell open at the ornate detailing and gorgeous stained glass throughout sanctuary. "This place is beautiful!"

Rick nodded. "They've been doing fundraising for church improvements since I was Carl's age. There's been enough money dumped in here to build three churches."

Carl was walking ahead of them but he turned around and walked backwards so he could see them. "Hey, dad, after this can we please go to the carnival? Duane and Sophia are going to be there today."

His father nodded. "That's the plan. I'm planning on winning one of those giant teddy bears for Michonne."

She laughed and raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? And what are you going to do to win it?"

He ran his hand through his hair and shrugged. "I was thinking maybe the shooting gallery but I did hear they have an axe throwing game this year. I might be good at that."

She shook her head and giggled. "When have you ever thrown an axe?"

"Never, but I have excellent hand eye coordination. I bet I can throw an axe like a pro," he argued.

She nudged Carl's shoulder. "What do you think, Carl? Can your dad throw an axe?"

The boy shook his head. "I think he should stick to shooting."

Rick's jaw dropped and he actually looked a little miffed. "My own son doesn't believe in me! Now I'm gonna have to break some axe throwing records today!"

She smiled wide and squeezed his hand. "This I have to see!"

He looked over at her, that lopsided grin still on his lips. "Do you doubt my axe throwing abilities?"

She shook her head and rose up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "No sir! I just wouldn't want to miss such a manly display of athleticism."

He smirked. "That isn't the kind of kiss that makes up for you being a smarta...,"

"Richard Andrew Grimes! I know you were not about to curse in church!"

She jumped at the use of his government name and knew that only one person would use it that way and with that tone. She looked up and saw a woman about her height and much younger looking than a woman with a son Rick's age had any right to. Her grey hair was cut into a modern bob and she was wearing a pair of red cigarette pants with a white button down shirt. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and she had a pair of checkerboard Keds on her feet. Michonne immediately saw where Rick got his gorgeous eyes from and hers shone brightly from behind a pair of fashionable, red glasses.

The pictures she'd seen in the walls at Rick's house didn't do her any justice. Loretta Grimes was simply beautiful.

Carl took off running and wrapped his arms around her waist when he reached her. "Grandma!"

She laughed and hugged him tight. "Oh my goodness! Carl, you get taller every time I see you! How are you baby? How's school?"

Carl stepped back out of the hug her hands on his shoulders remained. "It's good. I got an A on my book report."

Loretta had a stunning smile and it was probably even brighter because she was talking to her grandson. "Wonderful! I knew you'd like The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe!"

Carl nodded. "Yeah! I had to return it to the library but dad ordered me the whole series. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!"

Loretta winked and ruffled his hair. "That dad of yours is pretty good sometimes, isn't he?" With that, her attention came back over to her and Rick as she waited for him to use the manners she'd obviously raised him with.

"Morning, mama," he finally said, letting go of her hand just long enough to hug his mother.

Loretta sighed. "Good morning, son," she said. "Now...introduce me to your friend. The whole town is talking about her and I feel left out because I haven't met her yet."

She hoped her hands weren't shaking when Rick gently tugged her over. "Mama, this is Michonne Pierce...my girlfriend."

His mother put her hands on her slim hips and had no shame in appraising her from head to toe. "Well...I heard you were pretty but you are absolutely gorgeous! I'm Loretta Grimes."

She smiled shakily. "Thank you. It's good to finally meet you, Mrs Grimes. I've heard a lot about you but you're the one who's gorgeous! I see where Rick gets his good looks from."

Her compliments brought a smile to Loretta's face. "Aren't you sweet! Please call me Loretta, but I haven't heard nearly enough about you! My son's been keeping you all to himself."

She could see the pink creeping up the sides of Rick's neck.

"Mama..."

Loretta shook her head and effectively silenced him. "Hush, Rick. You had your chance to tell me about her now it's my turn to get to know her for myself. Besides, I need you and Carl to go get me some more strawberries for the tarts. We're running low."

Rick was slowly shaking his head before Loretta even finished talking. "Now, mama...I know what you're trying to do. You're not being sneaky..."

Loretta's eyes went wide and innocent as she stared back at her son. "I'm not doing anything besides trying to get more strawberries. But if you can't find the time to help me, I'll find some one else who can..."

Rick's wide eyes matched his mother's. "I didn't say I wouldn't go..."

Loretta folded her arms across her chest in a pout. "But you don't want to leave Michonne here to keep me company. You act like I'm the most horrible mother in the world and I can't be trusted to behave!"

Rick frowned and ran a hand over his face. "That's not...you're being dramatic!"

Loretta narrowed her eyes. "If I am being dramatic it's because I love you." Loretta knew the things to say and they perfect way to say them to get her son to do exactly what she wanted. Even though she found their whole conversation entertaining, Michonne decided to step in and end it.

"I'll stay here. It'll give me the chance to get to know your mom a little bit," she said.

Rick's eyes met hers and they had a silent conversation to assure him that she'd be fine with his mom...but he'd better hurry back.

With a deep sigh, he kissed her cheek before addressing his mother. "Fine...Just be nice, mama."

Loretta gave him a sweet smile and patted his cheek. "I'm always nice." Rick's frown was back but Michonne squeezed his hand to get him to bite his tongue as Loretta continued talking. "Go on now and bring back the ripest strawberries you can find."

Rick nodded. "Ok...come on Carl."

Carl waved at her as he took off after his father, leaving her and Loretta alone together.

"Forgive me, Michonne. I just enjoy pushing his buttons sometimes. When he gets all frustrated and turns all pink, he reminds me so much of his daddy. I used to irritate the devil out of him too." Loretta was sporting the most self-satisfied grin she'd ever seen and right then she knew she was going to enjoy getting to know Rick's Mom.

Michonne wasn't quite sure how she ended up surrounded by old ladies cutting dough for strawberry tarts, but she was enjoying the work and the conversation. After performing her own thorough interrogation, Rick's mother had shuffled them into the kitchen where a small army of grandmotherly types had formed an assembly line of tart making.

Their chatter ended abruptly when they saw her walk in and she suddenly felt less than confident about whatever was about to happen.

"Ladies, this is Rick's girlfriend, Michonne, and she's gonna give us a hand until he gets back with more berries so pass her an apron." Loretta's introduction must've been enough for them because they went back to their conversations and she was handed an apron while being directed to the crust making station.

In twenty minutes of crust making, she'd learned a lot of information. Loretta was definitely the queen bee of the church lady clique which was made up of Betty Taylor, Victoria Johnson, Shirley Ridley, and Francine Miller. Whatever Loretta said was law and since she was obviously ok with her being Rick's girlfriend, so were the rest. Only Francine didn't seem on board, but Michonne figured that was because she'd been banished by Loretta to the whipped cream station on the other side of the kitchen to make room for her to help with crust.

Second, she found out that those ladies thought the sun rose and set in Rick Grimes.

"You snagged yourself one of the good ones," Michonne smiled over at Betty; a tall woman with kind brown eyes who had her dyed copper hair tied up in a bun and was responsible for putting the circles of dough she cut into tart tins. "Seems like he's getting a pretty good one in you too."

"We both got pretty lucky," she said, feeling a blush creep across her face.

The old woman raised an eyebrow and leaned across the table conspiratorially. "That Rick is a dreamboat! He looks just like Big Carl did at his age. If I was 40 years younger, I would've given you a run for your money…," she winked.

"I wouldn't blame you. He is pretty dreamy…", Michonne grinned back at her.

Loretta nudged Michonne with her elbow because her hands were busy kneading dough and shook her head. "Honey, you'd have no competition! I remember how she was 40 years ago and there's no way I'd let her anywhere near my son! I could barely let her around Big Carl before we got married! She was always giving him the eye and making him uncomfortable."

"Oh, hush Loretta!" Betty's attention went back to Michonne. "Don't listen to her. I never once made a pass at him once they got married and before that I was just being young. I changed once I found Jesus…"

"Jesus wasn't the one lost," mumbled Loretta and the other women in the room fell into a fit of laughter including Betty.

"Loretta, now you know you ain't no good," laughed Shirley, a woman who reminded Michonne so much of her own mother.

Loretta just shrugged and turned her ball of dough onto the floured tabletop. "I'm just making sure the record is set straight."

Victoria was shaking her head like she couldn't believe the show her friends were putting on as she worked on making tart filling. "Anyway…Michonne, honey, what do you for a living?"

"I'm a lawyer," she replied.

Loretta smiled and nodded. "That's right, y'all. Michonne is a district attorney for the city of Atlanta." Rick's mother was bragging on her and Michonne was thrilled about it but a little surprised too. Mainly because she didn't know what she'd done to win her over. Loretta was treating her better than Mike's Mom ever had and they were together for years. She'd always been nice and cordial, but Loretta was different. Around her, she felt like it was more than just being polite; it felt like family.

"Like on Law and Order?" Shirley asked, but before she could answer, Loretta took it upon herself to do just that.

"Exactly! Right, Michonne?"

"Yes...kind of…," she agreed and all the ladies started offering their congratulations and encouragement.

Loretta nodded. "Yes. She has a career unlike some of the women around here who are just looking for a man to support them and then get all hot in the pants for whichever one is richest, right ladies?"

The others were nodding their agreement when a clatter from the other end of the kitchen caused them all to jump and look up just in time to see Francine tug off her apron and toss it to the floor.

"God don't like ugly," she huffed before storming out of the kitchen. The ladies paid her no mind and went back to their tart making while Michonne wondered what she'd ben dragged into. Loretta must've recognized the confusion on her face because she sighed deeply and nudged her side again.

"Don't worry about her, she loves to be dramatic," she explained.

Michonne nodded and continued cutting circles in the rolled out crust. "I don't think she liked me being in here with y'all…"

"She probably didn't and I couldn't care less! She's Carl's other grandmother and she refuses to come to terms with what her daughter did to my son. I'm just trying to help her see the light." Michonne froze mid cut and shot her eyes over to Loretta. "I know…it probably isn't the Christian thing to do but I've been praying on it. I've never claimed to be anything more than a work in progress."

Victoria rose to the defense of her friend. "Loretta, you were just speaking the truth. If she took it personal, that's on her. Besides, she had a whole lot of nerve trying to defend Lori to us after everything happened."

"That girl was never good enough for him. I'm sorry it happened the way it did, but Rick is better off," added Shirley.

Betty nodded. "Yes he is...especially now with a woman like Michonne around."

"I think so too," said Loretta as she took her attention from the dough letting Michonne see the fire in her eyes from talking about her son. "I know I just met you and we have a whole lot of getting to know each other left to do but I know you're going to be good for him. A mother can tell."

Shirley laughed. "Girl, she was fully prepared to give you the full mama bear treatment! So when y'all walked in here smiling and laughing, we all about hit the floor."

Loretta only grinned and kept at her work. "Y'all didn't see them together. Rick looked happier than I've seen him in a very long time. It took the wind right out of me. How could I attack the person responsible for putting a smile back on my baby's face?"

Michonne was at a loss. She'd been so worried about meeting Rick's mother that she'd nearly driven both Rick and Maggie crazy with questions. She thought she was going to be difficult, she was prepared for difficult but instead she met a mother who had seen her son hurt and only wanted to see him to be happy again. She also understood that there was a fierce mama underneath her welcoming demeanor and if she ever thought Rick was being mistreated it would come out ready to fight.

A half smile danced on her lips and if her hands weren't covered in flour, she would've hugged Loretta. "He does the same for me. I hope we can keep doing that for each other..."

Loretta laughed; her blue eyes twinkling. "Honey, just keep doing whatever you're doing and y'all will be fine."

Betty laughed and waggled her eyebrows. "Yeah...and keep putting it on him real good too. That'll keep a smile on his face!"

Her brain short-circuited and her mouth fell open as a fierce blush swept through her body from head to toe. Did that sweet old lady just give her sex advice? In a church?

By Loretta's frustrated sigh, that was exactly what happened. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph...we are in the house of the Lord, Betty!" She shot a glare over at Betty that could've killed a normal person, but Betty just kept on filling tart shells in oblivion.

She shrugged, "He's staying overnights in Atlanta and she's staying with him all weekend...Rick's smiling like a fool...I'm not too old to know what that adds up to!"

Shirley took over the admonishment from Loretta who was pinching the bridge of her nose the same way Rick always did. "Neither are any of us, but you're embarrassing the poor girl!"

Betty looked up; her wide brown eyes giving her an innocence Michonne now realized was all an act. "Isn't this how the girls talk now?"

Victoria shook her head. "Your daughter should've never ordered you HBO. That Sex in the City done rotted your brain even more that it already was."

Eager to change the subject away from her and Rick's sex life before she actually died of embarrassment, Michonne cleared her throat. "Ok...it looks like you need someone at the whipped cream station now…"

Shirley shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. "Baby, ain't no such thing! We usually let the people buying the tarts put whipped cream on them if they want to."

Victoria added, "Francine got sent over there because she can't bake! We threw away a whole batch of dough she made right before you came in here."

They were still laughing when Rick pushed through the door carrying a box filled with at least 25 pints of strawberries and Carl had two more pints in his little hands. They put them all by the sink to be washed and briefly greeted the other ladies before coming over to her and Loretta.

Rick put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "I'm gone less than an hour and you put her to work, mama?"

Loretta grinned over at Rick. "Now, son, she offered and I'm glad she did. Thank you both for going to get more berries for us."

He nodded. "You're welcome."

Betty leaned across the table and Michonne had a hard time holding in her giggle at the come hither look in the old woman's eyes. "Hey, Rick…you're looking mighty fine today, sheriff!"

Rick's eyes widened, Carl laughed, and Loretta cut her eyes over at her friend.

"Umm...thank-thank you Mrs. Taylor...," he stuttered, that blush returning to his cheeks with a vengeance and Michonne saw what Loretta was talking about. He was cute when he was all pink and flustered.

"Betty, how many times do I have to tell you to stop flirting with my son? Especially now that he has a girlfriend who happens to be standing right here," reprimanded Loretta very sternly, but Betty only smiled and winked at Michonne.

"Ain't no ring on his finger and Michonne knows I'm just playing," she said.

She winked back as she cut her last dough circle. "It's ok Ms Loretta. I'm gonna make sure I take Ms Betty's advice from earlier to keep her from stealing my man..."

The kitchen erupted in laughter to the point where everyone, Ms. Loretta included, had tears in their eyes. Only Rick and Carl were left out and the utter confusion written all over their faces was too adorable.

"Why are they laughing, dad?"

Rick rolled his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "Believe me, son, we probably don't want to know."

Ms. Shirley peered over the rim of her glasses and smiled at him. "Rick, you got yourself a good one here," she stated, and the other ladies quickly co-signed on her verdict.

"Don't I know it...," he agreed, stepping closer to Michonne and planting a kiss on her forehead. "You ladies think you can make do without my girl? There's a lot of festival left for her to see."

Loretta nodded, "You heard him, Michonne. Go wash up. We can handle this from here."

She nodded and went over to the sink while the ladies continued to fuss over Rick and Carl. She gave them time together and wen over to say her goodbyes to each of the ladies. When she returned to the Grimes family, Rick was hugging his mother and she was whispering something in his ear that made his cheeks turn pink.

"Bye mama," he said pointedly, as their hug ended and she made a mental note to ask him about that later.

"You better hear me, Rick Grimes!" She slapped his arm playfully before leaning down to hug Carl. "Bye my love."

Carl squeezed her tight around her waist. "Bye, grandma."

Loretta straightened and turned to her with happy eyes. "Your turn. Come on over here,"

She wrapped her arms around her, careful to avoid Loretta's flour covered hands, and hugged her tight. "Bye, Loretta."

"Bye, Michonne. Thank you for your help today and for putting up with a bunch of old hens," she said.

She squeezed her a little tighter and basked in the warmth of that hug. "It was fun. Thank you for including me."

Loretta nodded and went back to her ball of dough. "Y'all have fun and I'll see you at church in the morning and for lunch at my house afterwards."

Rick rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "We were planning to hit the road early…,"

Loretta's eyebrow shot up and Michonne knew she had to come to his rescue before Loretta could get him all frustrated and pink again. She leaned into his side and rubbed his back with one hand while resting the other over his heart. "We'll be there, Loretta. We can leave for Atlanta afterwards, right baby?"

His arm drifted around her waist and she was met with a pair of wide blue eyes that blinked a few times before a small smile appeared on his lips and he grabbed her hand. "We'll see you in the morning, mama," he relented, putting knowing smirks on the other women's faces and a wide grin on Loretta's.

"Oh, Michonne! I'm going to love having you around!"

 **XXXXX**

 **A/N: A lot more in store for Richonne & Carchonne this weekend. Most importantly, we need to find out if Rick can throw an axe! Part 2 of this chapter is coming soon! As always, let me know what you think!**


	9. Sweet Emotion

A/N: Thank you all for the follows, faves, and reviews. They're all so amazing and I love them and you truly. I know it's been like, 84 years since I undated but that was never the intention. I had a bit of writer's block on this one but it finally came together, I think. It's a long chapter because s many of you wanted to see the axe throwing (lol) and I didn't want to break up their weekend in King County again. Let me know what you think!

 **Chapter 8 - Sweet Emotion**

 **Inspired by "Sweet Emotion" by The Kooks**

"Do you think he's going to do it?" Carl asked.

Michonne shrugged and put her hand on Carl's shoulder.

"I have a good feeling about it," she answered and she really did. She'd already come to the conclusion that she would never tease him about his ability to be good at something as random as axe throwing ever again. Then again, there was something about the concentration on his brow and the focused gleam in his piercing stare that made her think that maybe he was trying a little harder because she'd teased him. Either way, she never thought something as outdoorsy as axe throwing would make her as hot and bothered as she was at that exact moment and not one axe had actually been thrown yet.

She and Carl were standing behind a rope to the right of where Rick was preparing to throw. She pulled her lip between her teeth unable to hide her smile from watching his biceps flex as he took a few practice swings to judge the weight of the axe in his hand.

The target was a wooden circle suspended from a tree at least fifteen feet away from him. The object seemed simple enough; hit the target with all three throws and win the grand prize. Unfortunately, none of the guys in line ahead of them had been able to do it. Most missed the first throw but landed the second two, winning one of the smaller prizes.

"You ready?" The operator asked and Rick gave him a short nod as he moved the axe into throwing position.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Carl cross his fingers on both hands and even though it was a little silly, she did the same. She wanted to close her eyes but she couldn't. Rick's movements transfixed her as his muscles of his back stretched and tightened beneath his snug t shirt as he prepared his first throw. That, coupled with his serious expression was a lot but then he licked his bottom lip before releasing the axe in a smooth throw, sending darts of electricity running through her from head to toe.

Her heart was racing but neither the dull crack of metal hitting wood or Carl's cheers could tear her eyes away from him. Rick picked up the second axe and threw it just as perfectly as the first. The third axe hit with ease a few seconds later and it was only then that he looked over at her wearing a cocky grin that sent butterflies swirling around in her belly. Her face erupted into a smile and she clapped and cheered as he shook hands with the operator and went to pick a prize. A few minutes later, his purposeful stride brought him over to her carrying a very large and very colorful stuffed cat.

"I know I promised you a teddy bear but I saw this thing and figured you'd like it more," he said, handing her the gaudy but still cute cat.

She grinned and took the cat from him, hugging it close to her chest.

"It's too damn gorgeous, thank you," she said, and she wanted to say more but Carl ran up threw his arms around his father. It was tough to impress a 10 year old, especially for dads, but Rick had just done it and Carl was looking at him like a hero.

"Way to go dad! That was so awesome! I recorded it on my phone. I can't wait to show my friends!" He rambled, wearing a grin wider than she'd ever seen.

"Thanks son," he said, ruffling Carl's hair before turning his attention back to Michonne.

"Well, counselor...was that display of athleticism good enough for you?" Rick asked and she smiled at the recollection of their earlier conversation.

"I liked it," she said, pulling him into an embrace. She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, "I'll have to give you the right kind of kiss later."

"I'm looking forward to that," he said, a slightly pink blush coloring his cheeks. He draped his arm over her shoulders with a smile and pulled her into his side. As soon as his lips grazed her forehead, her eyes fluttered closed as she relaxed into the comfort of his arms. "Hey, Carl? Where did you say Duane and Sophia were?"

"They're over at the rides with Duane's mom and dad," Carl answered.

"Let's go find them so I can give Morgan and Jenny a break for a while," he said.

"Yes!" Carl ran ahead of them looking for his friends and she glanced up at Rick who had a little smile on his face.

"Is it our turn to watch the kids?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow.

"If I take this shift, that'll leave Carol the later one and we can have a little bit of time to ourselves. Maybe you can show me how much you liked my axe throwing," he said and she could only shake her head and laugh. It was going to be a very long day at the festival.

 **XXXXX**

They met up with Duane's parents who had taken the first shift with the kids and they seemed grateful for their break. Carl immediately pulled out his phone and showed Duane and Sophia the axe throwing video and both of them couldn't stop talking about how cool he was for winning.

Duane and Sophia were both good kids who seemed to already know a lot about Michonne. Apparently, Carl had been texting them about his dad's comic book loving, video game playing, super awesome new girlfriend and they bombarded her with questions between rides. Carl would excitedly answer a lot of them before she could open her mouth, but she just nodded her agreement with whatever Carl said.

After spending most of the afternoon taking the kids from ride to ride and game to game, Rick got a text from Carol letting him know that his shift was up. They met up with her near the food area for the trade off and after giving Carl a $20 bill for food and whatever else he wanted, it was just the two of them.

They grabbed some food from the Bodacious BBQ tent because they had the absolute best ribs he'd ever had. Michonne agreed that they were good, but not as good as her dad's which he would have to try one day. He laughed at how she turned out to be a slightly messy eater of BBQ and he took great pleasure in kissing away the remnants of sauce on her lips.

They were on their way back out to the midway when they ran into Shane and his flavor of the week but he made a point of not sticking around too long. He was enjoying having Michonne all to himself a little too much. They weren't doing anything except walking around and talking but it was enough. Shane was more interested in the woman he was with than them anyway, so after a short conversation he excused himself and his lady friend as they went over to the beer tent.

Before too long, the sun was setting and they were going to have to go meet Carol to pick up Carl, but he was determined to get her on that Ferris Wheel before the day ended. The line wasn't too long and when they got to the front, and he slipped the guy an extra $5 to make sure they stopped at the top just a little while longer than usual.

As the ride started, he just took a moment to just bask in her. She was holding on to the cat he'd won for her that she'd dubbed "Rainbow Cat" and looking at the town below them, and he was watching her and making note of the way the sun made her skin look even more radiant that it usually did. He memorized the way that one loc that kept escaping the bun she'd pulled her hair into when it had gotten hot earlier, waved up as it fell down her back.

When their car rumbled to a stop at the top, she turned to him and with her dark eyes shining and her lips curved into a grin, she said, "Looks like we're stuck. How ever will we pass the time?"

He smiled and draped his arm across her shoulders. "I don't know," he said. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"I've never been kissed at the top of a Ferris wheel before...," she whispered, and he responded by leaning in close to her and rubbing the tip of his nose against hers.

"Well…I think we can rectify that," he said, right before tilting his head and lowering his mouth to hers. Her hand moved up to cup his face and as soon as he felt her fingertips getting lost in the hair at the nape of his neck, the arm around her shoulders tightened to hold her even closer to him. The car swung a little bit at the movement and it elicited the cutest little squeal he'd ever heard out of her, making him laugh too. It broke the kiss just long enough for him to see her face alight with joy with her gorgeous, toothy smile at the center of it.

"I love your smile," he said, and almost on command, her smile grew even wider.

"Yeah?"

He nodded and kept his eyes trained on hers. "I mean…you're already so goddamn gorgeous but when you're smiling at me…I don't know. It's like looking at the sun. You're stunning." He thought he saw her eyes tear up, but before he could say anything else, she kissed him. He was completely at her mercy as her exquisite lips expertly worked against his and before long the kiss was transformed by wandering hands and the addition of tongues and teeth. They were making out like a couple of horny teenagers and he didn't care.

As the Ferris wheel started to move again, they reluctantly calmed things down but they continued holding on to each other. Her head rested on his shoulder and their hands stayed intertwined for the remainder of the ride.

He was still in a slight haze as they made their way to the rendezvous point where Carol and Sophia were waiting with Carl. After catching up for a little bit, the three of them began the long trek back to the car after a busy day at the festival. He walked with her tucked into his side and his arm over her shoulders and Carl walked in step with them on his other side.

Just before they got to the gate, Carl grabbed his arm.

"Cool! They have a photo booth! Can we try it, dad? Please?" He laughed and Michonne let go of him so he could be dragged over to the booth by his son.

"It's just a photo booth…," he argued, but Carl was on a mission.

"I've never done it before!"

"Ok, ok…I'm in." He pulled out his wallet and fed the machine some money before climbing inside with Carl right behind him. He kept waiting for Michonne to follow them in but he knew her. She probably didn't want to intrude on a moment that she believed was just for him and Carl.

He didn't have too long to think about how to broach the subject with his son because Carl poked his head out of the booth and yelled, "C'mon, Michonne! You're one of us so you have to get in here too!"

He couldn't have been more impressed by his kid even if he wanted to be. He wouldn't have minded taking the pictures alone, but the fact that Carl wanted her in there with them meant so much to him. He knew they'd bonded, but it was even more evident just how much they'd bonded.

He stuck his head out of the booth and grinned at the surprised, yet grateful look on Michonne's face.

"You heard him. You're one of us, so get on in here," he said, cosigning on Carl's invitation.

That beautiful smile washed over her again and she quickly squeezed into the booth with them, ending up sitting on his lap still holding Rainbow Cat, with Carl on the seat next to them. As the three of them mugged for the camera, he kept thinking about how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time and it was all because of the woman sitting on his lap. He'd never know what he'd done to deserve Michonne in his life…in his son's life…but he was going to do everything he could to keep her there. He wanted to make sure that perfect day was the first of many more perfect days with his two favorite people.

 **XXXXX**

Michonne stepped out of the bedroom, leaving Rick to finish getting ready for church alone so he would stop being distracted by her. They'd spent way too long getting lost in each other that morning because he'd been nearly insatiable. After ending up breathless and boneless for the third or forth time, she retreated to the shower and barred him from joining her. She didn't want to be late and keep Loretta waiting but Rick didn't seem to share her concerns so she had to get out of his way to get him back on track.

She found Carl slumped into the leather recliner in the living room already dressed and looking pretty dapper for a 10 year old. His light blue button down shirt brought out his eyes and made her see even more of his father in him. when he saw her, he sat up a little straighter but the bored expression didn't leave his face.

"Good morning, Carl," she greeted.

"Good morning...is dad almost ready? Grandma's not going to be happy if we're late for church," he cautioned and she nodded her agreement.

"He should be ready in a few. Did you eat breakfast?" She asked.

"I had cereal. It wasn't as good as what we had yesterday," he replied and she agreed completely. Rick had brought her some coffee and toast during one of their lulls and the whole time she ate it she was wishing it was Rick's pancakes.

"I'd rather have pancakes again too but isn't your grandma making a big lunch for us?" She asked and Carl nodded.

"She always cooks a lot on Sunday and she's a really good cook! I hope she makes mac and cheese. It's so good," he said and based on his review, she hoped there was mac and cheese too.

"Are you excited about the summer? Your dad says you're spending the entire break with him," she said.

"Yeah! Me, Duane, and Sophia are going to a day camp while our parents are working. They have field trips, swimming, fishing, archery…it's going to be so much fun! I think we're even going to see the Braves!"

"You like baseball?" She asked and Carl nodded emphatically.

"I'm gonna play on the rec league team while I'm here for the summer," he said, a little bit of pride sneaking into his words.

"That sounds cool! What position do you play?" She asked.

"I don't know yet. I've never played before but my dad says the coaches will help me figure it out," he said and she nodded her agreement.

"That's what the coaches are there for; to put everyone in the best positions so the team can win," she explained.

"Thats what my dad said...do you like baseball?" He asked.

"I do. I used to go see the Braves with my dad when I was your age," she replied.

"Cool! Dad and grandpa used to take me to games…," Carl jumped up from the sofa and ran over to grab a framed picture from the table by the door. He came back and handed it to her to look at. "This is from the last game we went to."

She stared at the photo of Rick with a not too much younger version of Carl standing between him and a man she would've recognized as Rick's father even if Carl hadn't prepped her for it. It was like looking into the future and seeing what Rick would look like in twenty five years. Big Carl was a little taller than Rick but he had the same build and the same unruly curls peeking out from the edges of his cap. Rick clearly had Loretta's eye color; his father's were a much deeper almost sapphire blue but they were still the same eyes filled with the same joy in that photo. He was a very handsome man and it was no wonder Betty flirted with Rick the way she did.

They were all wearing Braves hats; Rick's was backwards and Carl's was a little big causing it to fall over his eyes as he sported a huge toothless grin. Big Carl had his arm draped over his son and grandson, looking so proud that it brought a smile to her face. Three generations of Grimes men made a striking picture.

"How old were you here?" She asked, her fingers tracing Rick's face in the photo. He looked the same, but lighter in some way; like the pain of the last few years hadn't settled in behind his features yet.

"Ummm…I was 7 and grandpa wanted to go to the game for dad's birthday. We had so much fun! We even stayed in a hotel in the city! I'd never stayed at a hotel before and Grandpa let me order room service and we went swimming in the hotel pool!"

Listening to Carl describe what had be such a fun trip for him brought a smile to her face.

"That does sound like fun! You three had a boys weekend," she laughed, imagining the three of them living it up in the big city.

"That's what grandma called it. I wish we could've done it again but…grandpa got sick…" Just as quickly as he'd brightened, he faded out; the smile he'd been sporting minutes earlier, replaced by a frown. As he just silently stared at the picture, she wrapped her head around what he was saying to her.

For some reason, she'd assumed that Rick's father had passed away years ago but the picture and the still fresh sadness Carl harbored told her otherwise. The picture was only three years old and coupled with what she knew about Rick's divorce, it all seemed to coincide. Losing his father and his marriage at the same time would've been a lot to handle for anyone and it would've been worse for a little boy losing the happy life he'd always known.

"Oh Carl…I'm sorry to hear that," she said, but her words didn't pull his eyes away from that picture.

"Grandma says it's better now because he's not sick anymore…I don't know. I still miss him and I think dad misses him too..." Carl's voice trailed off and when she saw tears in his eyes nothing was going to stop her from pulling him into a fierce hug.

"It's ok to still miss him…," she whispered as she held him close, her own tears beginning to stream down her face as she thought about how much that little boy had been through in such a short amount of time. "You don't have to be so strong all the time."

Slowly, his arms slid around her and he hugged her back.

"I just wish me and dad could still go to games and have fun like we used to," he said, his voice still a little shaky and she only squeezed him harder.

"You should talk to your dad about it. He'll understand," she said and Carl took a step back out of their hug and eyed her warily.

"Do you think…going to a game might make him sad?"

She shook her head, wondering how that little boy got to be so sweet and gave him a watery smile. "I think he'd love to take you to a game, just like his dad used to take him. In fact, I think asking him to take you to a game would make him really happy."

"You think so?" He asked, and she nodded placing her hands on his shoulders.

"I know so," she declared, and a weak smile finally appeared on Carl's face. "You should definitely ask him."

The bedroom door opened and Rick's heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor alerted them that he was finally ready to go. Carl quickly moved away from her wiping his eyes but he still managed to smile at her.

"Thanks, Michonne," he whispered before running to put the picture back in it's place.

"Are we all ready to…," She was still wiping tears from her eyes when Rick stepped into the living room and that was enough to make his words fade out mid sentence as he came to a stop. He looked from her to his son who was already standing by the door ready to go. "What's going on? Why are you crying?"

She shook her head trying to diffuse the slight panic in his voice and looked over at Carl with a smile.

"Everything's fine. We were talking about something sad and I got a little carried away that's all," she explained. It wasn't quite a lie and it wasn't quite the truth but she could deal with that if it meant letting Carl talk about his feelings with his dad on his own terms.

"Are you sure?" He asked, glancing over at his son who was still fidgeting and doing everything in his power not to meet his father's eye.

"Yep," she answered, walking over to him and carefully straightening his tie. "You look very handsome, sergeant. Reminds me of our first date…," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair to draw his attention back to her.

He silently observed her for a minute and she could tell he wasn't quite buying the story she was selling but he didn't say anything else about it. He simply placed his hands on her bare shoulders and kissed her forehead and she was grateful for it.

"You look lovely. I still can't figure out how you knew to pack something like that," he said and she looked down at the pink and white flowery dress with the conservative knee length she was wearing and shrugged.

"Let's just say I had a feeling we'd end up in church with your mom," she said, remembering his flabbergasted reaction over the excessive suitcase she brought with her for the weekend. "I bet you'll never tease me about overpacking again!"

"No, I guess not," he laughed, grabbing her hand and heading for the front door. "We'd better get over there. I'm surprised she isn't texting me to find out where we are."

Carl turned bright red and gave his dad a sheepish grin.

"Umm…dad? She called me fifteen minutes ago," he confessed. "I told her you weren't ready yet."

Rick dropped his head and sighed, "And what did she say?"

"She said you guys need to come up for air whatever that means...," Carl paused just as Rick's face started to match the flowers on her dress and her hand didn't quite cover her mouth fast enough to muffle her giggle. "...what does that mean, dad?"

His eyes shot up to hers in a silent plea for help but her mind went completely blank. He must've realized she wasn't going to be any help and he shook his head and began ushering both of them out the door.

"It means…get up and get moving which is exactly what we're doing," he said and Carl shrugged before he ran outside.

She stood in front of him in the doorway and laughed at the stricken look that was still on his face.

"It's not funny," he grumbled. "Mama and I are going to have a talk…"

"It's a little bit funny…especially since that is the reason we're running late," she teased and a slow smile spread across his face.

"It's our last day together for a little while and I just wanted to start it off right," he whispered, leaning forward to brush her lips with his. Memories of being awakened by his mouth and tongue sent a flush of heat racing through her. He'd spent the morning worshiping her and she'd enjoyed every minute of it.

Knowing how easily he got distracted and that they were already running late, she stepped away from him and their kiss after a few seconds and went to join Carl by the car.

"C'mon, sergeant! I can't be late to church my first time there," she said and he laughed to himself as he closed the door and locked up behind them. She pulled her keys from her purse and tossed them to him, and he easily caught them midair.

"Alright, alright…let's go. Mama needs to have enough time before service starts to introduce you to everybody you didn't meet yesterday," he said but it almost sounded like a threat. She was sure she'd met the whole town the day before. How many more people could possibly live in King County?

Based on that information, there was no way they were going to able to just slide into the back pew and escape right as the service ended. Loretta probably had a seat right in the front and she was probably reserving the row for them. She didn't know why she was suddenly so nervous. It was just church on a Sunday morning with her boyfriend, his mother, and his son in a town where everybody knew each other and she was already the main topic of conversation for most of them...

"Maybe we can just take our time…," she said, her voice a little shakier than she imagined it would be.

"Oh no, counselor! We couldn't possibly be late for church…," he joked and the cocky grin that usually made her turn to mush, turned against her for the first time since they met.

 **XXXXX**

He'd never understand how his mother managed to pull together her elaborate after church lunches considering most of her morning was spent at church. Still, when they walked into her house, it was filled with the delicious smells of his favorite foods.

After being treated as guests of honor at church, they'd gone back home to change clothes and pack up Michonne's car for the trip back to Atlanta. He'd managed not to let Michonne distract him too much so they were pretty much on schedule when they got to his his mother's. They followed Carl through the house to the kitchen where they found her pulling the last few pieces of chicken out of the frying pan. She'd gone all out that day and on the table were green beans, biscuits, mashed potatoes, Carl's favorite macaroni and cheese, and there was even her world famous lemon pound cake sitting on the countertop. Rick laughed to himself at just how much his mama must've liked Michonne to do all that.

She looked up and gave them a wide smile as she wiped her hands on her apron. "There y'all are! What took you so long? Never mind, lunch is almost ready. Carl, can you set the table for me, please?" Carl grabbed the stack of plates from the counter and Michonne followed his lead and picked up the glasses and the silverware.

"I'll help," she said, before following Carl out of the kitchen. Rick shook his head and smiled to himself as he watched them go.

"Looks like she and Carl are already thick as thieves," his mother said, going back to stirring the gravy on the stove.

"Yeah, they were good right off the bat," he agreed.

"That's good…especially since you're already head over heels in love with her."

He felt the blush creep across his cheeks and he quickly diverted his eyes away from her.

"Mama…," he said, his hand moving to nervously rub the back of his neck. His mother laughed and shook her head.

"Now, Rick, there's nothing wrong with that. She's a sweetheart and I never saw your ex-wife look at you the way Michonne looks at you so I know she's just as in love as you are,"

Even though he was thrilled to hear that his mama saw how much love there was between him and Michonne, he couldn't believe she was still that petty toward Lori.

"You can say her name…," he sighed, and she immediately shook her head.

"I cannot. You know what they say about speaking the devil's name," she said, pouring the contents of the pan into the gravy boat. "But she is a reminder that relationships aren't always as easy as the seem in the beginning."

"I know that, mama…"

"It's just that…I think you two are in this love bubble and you're not considering that everybody might not be as forward thinking as they should be…especially in King County in these crazy times," she explained, and even though he knew exactly what she was talking about, he didn't want her to worry about that.

"Mama…," he began, still trying to think of the right words to make his mother understand that it was going to be ok.

"Listen to me, Rick. I'm not telling you this for any reason other than I want you to be ready for it. You've got a temper like your daddy and you're gonna have to control that if you hear small minded people saying small minded things."

He stared at her for a minute and realized that she wasn't warning him about things that might happen. She was letting him know about something that had already happened.

"Have people made comments to you?" He asked, as that temper she spoke of flared up to the surface.

"Don't you worry about that. You know I have no problem setting folks straight. They're going to think twice before saying anything remotely like that in my presence again," she replied, but that wasn't good enough.

"Who said it and what did they say?" He demanded.

"It's not worth repeating and see? You're getting all riled up already. God forbid you actually hear someone say something," she said as she went back to getting the food together.

"Mama, you can't tell me something like that and not give me any details," he said, trying his best to stay calm but his mother was right. He wasn't going to stand for anyone saying anything remotely disparaging about the woman he loved.

"Rick…," she sighed, "…it was just an old fool saying old fool things. These days those kind of people feel like they can spew their venom freely. I just don't want them taking you both down with them," she said.

"I'm not letting this go," he said.

"You're going to have to because I've said everything I have to say about it." Laughter from the dining room interrupted her and a smile appeared on her face at the sound. "I do love hearing him laugh like that."

"I think I've heard him laugh more in the last three days than I have in a long time," he said as Carl and Michonne's voices filled the air around them.

Loretta cupped his face in her hands and smiled, "Honey, the last few years have been tough on him…on both of you. You've come a long way on your own but I'm just glad you found someone who can help both of you finish climbing out of it."

He covered his mother's hands with his and smiled back at her. She was right; it had been a rough few years for all of them starting from the day his father was diagnosed with cancer. It was inoperable, fast moving, and the doctors only gave him six months to live. His father was a fighter and he made it a little over a year. They were still reeling from his loss when his marriage fell apart. Through it all, they had each other.

"I love you, mama," he said and she nodded.

"I love you too…now help me take the food into the dining room. We need to eat before the food gets cold," she said before lovingly patting his cheeks.

"Yes, mamn," he said, moving to grab the chicken.

"Oh, and Rick?"

"Yes?"

"Don't forget what I told you yesterday," she warned and he shook his head and chuckled as her heatedly whispered words from the day before ran through his head.

"You told me not to give you another grandbaby before I gave you another daughter-in-law…," he whispered after glancing toward the dining room to make sure neither Carl nor Michonne were anywhere nearby.

She walked past him carrying the macaroni and cheese and peered at him over the rim of her glasses.

"That's right. You two act like you can't keep your hands off of each other and if it's going to happen, at least do it in order please," she said before disappearing into the other room.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. His mother was definitely something else.

 **XXXXX**

Michonne carefully washed another plate and handed it to Loretta to dry. Lunch had been delicious and she made a mental note to ask Loretta what she put in her biscuits to make them so fluffy. It had been a long time since she'd eaten an old-fashioned meal like that and it reminded her of Sundays after church when she was growing up. It also made he look forward to spending time with her own family the following week.

Sitting around the table listening to Loretta tell embarrassing stories about Rick when he was a boy made her laugh more than she had in a long time. Rick kept telling Carl not to do any of those things his grandma was talking about but you could tell that Carl was taking notes.

She glanced out the window and smiled to herself as she watched Carl and Rick throwing a baseball across the backyard. Carl had practically begged him to after dinner and as they went outside, he'd given Michonne a little smile to let her know that he was going to do what she'd suggested earlier. From the way they were talking and laughing out there, she was sure the conversation had gone just as she'd expected.

"He reminds me so much of his daddy. Big Carl used to go out and play catch with Rick and Jeff after lunch every Sunday. He used to say he had to keep moving so my cooking wouldn't make him useless for the rest of the day." She looked at Loretta who had a wistful smile on her face as she kept drying dishes.

"I get where he was coming from! Everything was so good and I'm so full that I think I'm going to sleep for the entire ride back to Atlanta," she said.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you for helping me clean up even though you didn't have to," Loretta answered.

"I wanted to help. I also thought that Rick and Carl could use some time to themselves," she explained and Loretta put the plate she was drying down and rested her hand on her hip.

"Honey, you love those boys and both of them love you so don't you ever think you're intruding on their time together," she stated firmly and Michonne was reminded of the Loretta Grimes no one dreamed of messing with.

"I'll try not to," she said as they both went back to the dishes. There was silence as she stole another place at the boys out the window. Watching them made her heart even more full than her stomach. The last few days made her feel like they were a little family and her rational side was having a very hard time with that. It was like before when it was making her second guess falling in love with Rick so fast but now it was focused on how fast she'd been accepted by the people closest to him.

She'd bonded with Carl so easily and was looking forward to spending more time with him playing video games, reading comic books, watching him play baseball, and becoming his friend. Then there was Loretta; the person she'd been so worried about meeting and even that had gone better than she could've imagined. Loretta had introduced her to everyone at church almost proudly; like she was showing her off like her own mother would. Now she was washing dishes with her and the whole thing was making her rational side was to pump the brakes just a little bit. Then, she'd look at her boys out the window or laugh at something Loretta said and her foot would remain firmly on the gas.

"It's hard, isn't it? Trying to remember that you two haven't been together that long while you're in the middle of being carried away by all of it," said Loretta, pulling her out of her head a bit. She was a little surprised that his mother was able to read her so easily, but she just chalked it up to a sixth sense all mothers seemed to have.

"It is. Your son knows how to sweep a girl off her feet," she said.

"He's like his daddy that way. Once Carl had made up his mind about something or someone, that was it. That's how it happened with us, anyway," Loretta said with a nod.

"Sounds like there's a story there…," she nudged, knowing from dinner that it wouldn't take much to get Loretta to tell a story.

The older woman smiled and started putting dishes away.

"Well…I'd known Carl my whole life. I was certainly sweet on him and everybody said he was sweet on me too...but he never said anything and I was too focused on going away to college and getting out of this town to do anything about it. We were good friends though and neither of us dated anyone seriously all through school. I was too strong willed for most of the guys and he rarely took any interest in the plethora of girls interested in him."

"Even Ms. Betty?" She asked cheekily and Loretta rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Especially Betty! I swear she did things that could be considered assault these days! Watch out for that one! Rick looks too much like his daddy for his own good when it comes to her," Loretta laughed and Michonne nodded.

"I've got my eye on her. I knew she wasn't kidding about stealing him away from me yesterday," she said.

"She is something else…anyway…after we graduated, I went to Savannah for college, he stayed here and became a sheriff's deputy, and we just drifted apart like people do when they start living their own lives. Four years later, I came back here with my teaching degree, job offers from schools all over the place, and a writer boyfriend who came from old money in Savannah."

"A writer?" She asked and Loretta nodded. She shut off the water and slid onto one of the barstools at the kitchen island to hear the rest of the story. Loretta followed her lead and sat in the chair next to her before continuing with the story.

"His name was Jackson and he came to visit me one weekend and I showed him off all over town. We hadn't been seeing each other long and he wanted to escalate things which I wasn't ready for…but he was nice. We stopped at the diner and while we were there, Carl walked in to grab some dinner before going to the station…" She stayed quiet as a faraway look washed over Loretta's features and she became lost in the memory of that day. "…I hadn't seen him except in passing in so long and he looked so different in his sheriff's department uniform. He was always so handsome, but…that uniform plus a few years looked so good on him."

"I know what you mean," whispered Michonne, blushing fiercely as the memory of her very similar reaction when she saw Rick in his uniform the first time.

Loretta patted her hand and raised an eyebrow, "Those Grimes men can wear the daylights out of a uniform, can't they?" Her little smirk made Michonne giggle. "Right when he was leaving, our eyes met and I smiled at him but he gave me a scowl like I'd never seen! He was in the middle of storming out of the diner when he stopped, turned around and marched himself right up to my table. Without giving my boyfriend a second glance he said, Now, Loretta Lynn Sterling, you know you're mine, you've always been mine, and you're always gonna be mine so you're gonna have to dump this boyfriend of yours so we can get on with our lives together."

Her mouth fell open as the image of it all played out in her head. "Really?"

"He sure did! No one could ever say he wasn't bold," Loretta confirmed making Michonne need to know what happened next like it was the cure for world hunger. It was like a soap opera you just couldn't stop watching.

"What did your boyfriend say?" She asked, and Loretta just shook her head dismissively.

"Not a thing! He was scared out of his wits! Carl was standing there looking all official and the man had an air about him that let you know he wasn't one to be messed with...he also kept tapping the butt of his gun in the holster so I'm sure that helped inspire Jackson keep his mouth shut," she said.

"So what did you say?" Michonne asked.

"Being the independent woman I've always been, I said, Carl Richard Grimes, you've got a lot of nerve showing up in here and laying claim on me! I am not a piece of land for you to stick your flag in! I belong to no one but myself! Now get on out of here and leave me be!"

"You didn't," she gasped and there was such a fire in Loretta as she recounted it that Michonne could only imagine how it came across 40 years earlier.

"I did and that was the very first time I saw him get all flustered and turn pink," she laughed and Michonne couldn't help but join in. "Carl did apologize to me...and after he left, I ended things with Jackson and sent him back to Savannah...even though I'm pretty sure I was never gonna see him again even if I'd wanted to. Then, I walked over to the station to continue giving Carl a piece of my mind, but I was a sucker because I ended up giving him my heart. We talked all night long and the next day I accepted a job teaching English at the high school. We were married before school started."

It was King County's version of a fairy tale and Michonne loved everything about it. "Did he ever tell you what made him approach you that day?" She asked.

Loretta sighed and put her hand over her heart. "He said he knew I had dreams bigger than King County and he didn't want to get in the way of them...but he loved me his whole life and seeing me sitting with another man made him realize that all of his dreams included me whether it was in King County or anywhere else."

"That's...impossibly romantic."

"That was my Carl...tender only when it came to me and I know for a fact that Rick is the same way. What did he say to get you to go out with him?"

"First he asked me for all of my dances at the wedding and then he said that I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on...and I had a smile that made him forget all the bad things that ever happened to him..."

"Yep. He's just like his daddy and you're a sucker just like I was!" Both women fell into a fit of laughter until Rick appeared in the doorway.

"What are you two in here laughing about?" He asked, an amused look on his face as he leaned against the doorframe.

Loretta waved him off, "Oh, just girl talk…where's Carl?"

"He's getting washed up. We're going to have to hit the road soon," he explained and Michonne looked at her watch to find that he was right. The day was almost gone which meant their perfect weekend was almost over too.

"I almost forgot to tell you, Rick. Jeff is coming home for a visit next month," Loretta announced before turning back to Michonne. "Jeff is Rick's baby brother."

Rick did a terrible job keeping his annoyance at that news off his face.

"Mama, don't give him any money," he stated and his mother frowned.

"Lord, you sound just like your daddy…," she said, but Rick didn't let that be the end of it.

"Dad was right! You know I love Jeff but he's good at hustling you. Even when we were kids he'd figure out ways to get an extra dollar or two out of you," he said; his admonishment coming as a bit of a surprise to both ladies in the room. Apparently, there was something going on between Rick and his brother.

"That's not...ok. Maybe I am a little soft when it comes to Jeff but if he needs it and I have it, I'm going to give it to him. I'd do the same for you and Carl," Loretta stated, her voice firm and letting them all know that was the end of it.

"I'm sorry, mama, but…," she held up her hand and halted his words.

"No more of that. He says he has a surprise for us and he hasn't been home since…so you be nice when he gets here." The skeptical look on Rick's face at the word "surprise" was almost priceless.

"I will but he better be nice too…," Rick began, but Carl running into the room talking about how he and his dad were going to a baseball game that summer, effectively ending that conversation. Not long afterwards, Rick reminded them all that they had to go and she watched as Loretta loving said goodbye to both of her boys before approaching her.

"I'm glad I was able to get to know you a little bit this weekend, Michonne. I'm looking forward to getting to know you even more," smiled Loretta as she pulled her in for a hug. "You take care of yourself, ok honey? It better not be too long before my son brings you around again."

"It won't be. I loved getting to spend time with you too," she replied, returning Loretta's hug with just as much affection. "Thank you for being so welcoming."

Loretta brought her lips up to her ear and whispered, "Thank you for putting a smile on both of my babies' faces again."

 **XXXXX**

They'd made it to Atlanta without much help from either Michonne or Carl. Both of them had passed out cold before they'd even crossed the King County line. He didn't mind though. They were both entirely too cute asleep and at least he didn't have to hear them complain about his horrible taste in music for the entire ride back. He was free to listen to his "old man" music as they called it and Johnny Cash kept him company for the long drive.

After helping Michonne into her house, they were standing outside next to his truck stalling their goodbyes. Knowing he had to get Carl home was the only thing that was making him leave her and the fact that he had a 7am shift the next day was the only thing keeping him from coming right back after dropping Carl off.

"All right, say goodbye to Michonne so we can get you home." Rick smiled at the way Michonne's eyes widened when Carl wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight.

"Bye, Michonne! Are you gonna come see me play baseball this summer?" Carl asked.

"Nothing could keep me away," she replied, hugging him back with just as much vigor. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks, ok?"

Carl nodded and ran toward the truck, giving her one last wave before climbing inside and Rick laughed to himself. his son and his girlfriend were best friends all of a sudden and if he didn't love them both so much, he'd feel like a third wheel.

"What is it?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he gently pulled her into his arms.

"Nothing…it's been a great weekend, my kid and my mama absolutely love you…I guess I'm just happy," he said.

She draped her arms around his neck and poked her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. "Me too…even though this is the last time I'm going to see you for two whole weeks."

He pushed aside his growing sadness over having to say goodbye to her and his son for much longer than he wanted to. The last three days had given him a taste of something he definitely wanted more of and his head was swimming with the implications of it all. But he didn't want to ruin their last few minutes together thinking about the decisions he knew he was going to have to make sooner rather than later so instead, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

"Don't remind me. This weekend with you spoiled me. I'm gonna miss you like crazy."

Her hands slid up his chest and she sighed, "Same here but I'll be back before you know it."

"Have a good time in Florida with your family and I'll see you when you get back," he whispered; the lure of her soft, pink lips becoming too maddening to ignore. He tilted his head and softly captured her mouth with his. Reminding himself that his 10 year old son was sitting less than 6 feet away, he kept the kiss as chaste as he possibly could and it was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He started to pull away, but her lips followed him; unwilling to let that be the end of it.

So he kissed her a little longer, savoring the luxurious feel of her soft body in his arms and the warmth of her mouth so he could write it in his memories for use while she was away.

They finally released each other, and he slowly backed away; his eyes never leaving hers.

"I love you, Michonne. I'll call you later...," he said. She smiled and gently rubbed the three day stubble on his face. He sighed and leaned his cheek into her palm.

"I love you too…and sooner is better," she said.

After another few seconds of just memorizing everything about her face, he reluctantly let her go and went to join Carl in the truck and as he pulled away, she blew him a kiss in the rear view mirror before going inside her house.

Carl talked non-stop for the entire ride from Michonne's house to Lori's. Rick just laughed and listened as Carl gushed about the weekend, most of his highlights including Michonne. He was glad that his son and his girlfriend had bonded so thoroughly even though there was a part of him that was concerned about how upset Carl would be if things with Michonne didn't work out. He had absolutely no reason to believe they wouldn't, so he hurriedly pushed those thoughts away and replaced them with thoughts of spending more time with both of the people he loved.

Carl was talking about how excited he was to play baseball that summer when they pulled up to the house Lori shared with her fiancé and the sadness over having to send his son back to his mother washed over him just like it always did and he wasn't able to push it away. He usually sat in the truck and watched as Carl ran up to the house but that night, based on the amount of extra bags his son had to carry, he decided to walk him to the door.

Lori was standing out on the porch waiting for them, her dark hair back in a ponytail with her hands resting on her very pregnant belly. There was a time when seeing her like that would've made him wistful for the life he thought he had for a very long time, but those days were gone. He wasn't going to waste another second of his life dwelling on what he lost, when it was so much more fulfilling to focus on what he'd found.

He followed Carl up on the porch just long enough to drop his bags off and watched quietly as he hugged his mother.

"Hi, mom," Carl exclaimed and Lori smiled and brushed his hair out of his face.

"Hey baby! I missed you. Did you have fun with your dad?" She asked and Carl nodded emphatically.

"I did! The strawberry festival was so awesome! I ate strawberry everything!" Lori laughed and squeezed her son's shoulder before looking up and meeting his eye.

"That's good! How about you say good night to your dad and go up to your room so I can talk to him for a minute." Her eyes never left him as she spoke and he sighed to himself, knowing he wasn't going to get out of there without a conversation.

Carl ran over and gave him a quick hug.

"Good night, Dad," he said.

"Good night, Carl. I love you," he declared, kissing the top of his son's head.

"Love you too," Carl yelled, as he ran past Lori into the house and she pulled the door closed leaving just the two of them standing outside. She folded her arms over her chest and fixed him with a look he knew very well. Those furrowed brows, that frown…he'd seen it quite a bit during their marriage. Not only was it going to be a conversation, it was going to be a bad one.

"Go on, Lori. Say whatever you've got on your mind," he sighed, not really in the mood for any kind of discussion with her. Especially since he knew what it was about. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that every friend she had left in King County had either called or texted her as soon as they saw him with Michonne and if they hadn't, he was certain her mama did.

"Can you please talk to your mother about the way she's treating my mom? Loretta has turned half the ladies in town against her and it's not right."

"I'll try but you know how my mama is," he said and Lori rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Yeah, I know...how'd she take you parading some woman around town all weekend…," she began, but his suspicions being confirmed, he cut her off with a sharp shake of his head.

"That's not your concern. Good night, Lori," he said, turning around and stepping off the porch. All he had to do was make to the truck and then he'd be free. They hadn't fought in a long time and he could tell that this conversation was shaping up to turn into one. While he'd expected Lori to ask about Michonne, he hadn't expected her to be ready to fight about her.

"It is my concern if you're going to have some woman around my son," she snapped and it stopped him in his tracks. That voice in his head told him to keep walking but she knew exactly how to get under his skin.

He turned around and glared at her. "He's our son and you obviously weren't thinking about that when you shacked up with Phillip."

"Phillip has nothing to do with this…," she said.

"Of course he doesn't," he chuckled.

"This isn't funny! You can't just walk away from this, Rick! I have a right to know about the person you're letting spend time with Carl," she spat and it made his anger rise a little more.

He exhaled deeply and decided to tell her something not so she would leave him alone, but hopefully so she wouldn't resort to hounding Carl about it.

"Her name is Michonne, she's my girlfriend and other than that, it sounds like you already know everything you need to know," he said.

"Your girlfriend? You can't be serious…you've only known her a month and you're letting her spend the night in the same house as our ten year old son," she scoffed and her hypocrisy made the his anger start to boil over.

"Wait…you're lecturing me about setting a good example for Carl? Even you have to see how completely ridiculous that is," he said and he didn't even try to keep the sarcasm out of his tone. Her eyes narrowed and she defensively folded her ams over her chest.

"You're never going to stop throwing that in my face, are you?" She asked.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He'd been in such a good mood and he wasn't about to let Lori ruin it.

"Look, I don't want to argue with you and I've got a long drive back home. So I'm gonna go now and I'll see you in two weeks when I get Carl for the summer," he said, doing everything he could to control his tone as he continued toward his truck.

"This conversation isn't over, Rick…," Lori warned but he didn't let it stop his progress. Moments like that made him wonder what he'd ever seen in his ex-wife in the first place.

"Yeah it is," he said, waving his hand at her as he kept walking away. He heard the door slam behind him and he rolled his shoulders trying to let go of the tension Lori had thrown on him.

He climbed inside his truck and noticed his phone blinking in the cup holder. There was a new voice message from Michonne and he immediately listened to it

 _Rick…it's only been 40 minutes and I miss you already. I realized I forgot to tell you to be safe this week and there's no way I could sleep tonight without saying that. I love you, baby. So much. I'm going to bed now and I'll call you tomorrow, ok? Good night._

Her breathy words made his anger over his interaction with Lori fade away almost instantly. That was the effect she had over him. She was a calming force for him even when they weren't together. He made sure to save the message for those times when he just needed to hear her voice and he couldn't just call her.

She'd said she was going to bed so he opened his texts and quickly typed out a message.

 _I always am. Good night gorgeous and I love you too._

 **XXXXX**

 **So you met Lori, got to know Rick's family a little more, and his brother is coming to town. I wonder what his "surprise " is? As always, thanks for reading and I'd love to hear from you all. I'll do my best to not have such a long delay next time. And we get to meet Michonne's family next. Even though Rick won't be there, I'm sure he'll be the topic of conversation...**


	10. Stand By Me

_I know it's been a while but I think I'm on a roll again. You all are the best and I hope this chapter is worth the wait even though R &M are apart. Just know that when they get together again…whoa!_

 _Thank you for reading this story and I appreciate all of you!_

 _Chapter 11 - Stand By Me_

 _Inspired by: Stand By Me by Ben E. King_

 **Saturday**

Michonne always loved the beach. Every summer when she was a kid, her parents would pack her and Noah into the minivan and make the long drive from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach. Her daddy had family there, and they would spend a week staying with relatives so they could enjoy an affordable beach vacation.

When she was small, she'd spend most of her time playing in the sand at her mother's feet or being chased by her daddy through the waves at the edge of the shore. As she got older, she would join her cousins as they experimented with boogie boards and beach volleyball as her inner athlete made its presence known. Some of the best memories of her childhood were made during those lazy days at Myrtle Beach and because of that, beaches always held a magical allure for her.

But if anyone loved the beach more than Michonne, it was her mother. All year, Aline would scrimp and save in preparation for their beach trip and as the days got closer, she'd get happier. By the time they'd walk out onto the beach the first time, her mother was like a kid on Christmas morning. Only one thing could ruin mom's beach attitude and that was rain; not driving six hours, not arguing with daddy over his pre-scheduled stops along the way, and not even being crammed into a tiny house with daddy's irritating relatives.

She'd put on the widest straw hat she could find and spend hours sitting in a beach chair reading one of her trashy romance novels she kept stacked on a shelf in the bathroom inside her bedroom. Her mom would pack at least three of those books every beach trip and she usually finished all of them before it was time to head back to Atlanta. Michonne could expect a butt whipping if her mother caught her looking at her books but she used to steal one out of her bag on the sneak and flip through it wondering what phrases like "turgid shaft" and "dance to the age old rhythm" meant.

Her mother would always get a little down when it was time to go home and her father would always pull her into his arms and say, "One day Aline. One day, I'm going to make it so you never have to leave the beach". Her mom would smile and kiss her dad; and her mood improved, they would settle in for the long drive home.

A few years after her father retired, he made her mother's dreams come true by buying the cottage in Lighthouse Point. He'd bought it as a surprise for their 40th wedding anniversary and her mother burst into tears when he showed her the deed. Having a house on the beach was outside the realm of possibilities when they got married at 18 with absolutely nothing except a whole lot of love.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Daddy had been tucking money away for years; determined to make his wife's dream come true. He'd done pretty well but it suddenly made so much sense why he'd nearly cried when she told him she'd earned a full scholarship at Clark Atlanta and when Noah did the same at Florida International University.

Daddy picked Florida because he knew his wife would want to be close to Noah. He was her baby no matter how old he got, and Daddy used a father son fishing trip as an excuse to scout beach houses. The cottage was nothing fancy, but it was steps from the ocean. The three bedrooms were enough for all of them to be there at the same time and daddy liked to say if anyone else wanted to stay there, the pullout sofa in the den would make do just fine.

While Noah had been slightly irritated that their parents were moving within 25 miles of his college, Michonne was just happy to have somewhere to visit when she wanted to feel the sand between her toes and that was exactly how she was spending the first day visiting her parents.

She'd arrived late Friday night but her father had woken the whole house up around 5:30 Saturday morning to take Noah out fishing. Her mother had cooked a huge old fashioned breakfast before sending them on their way and they left, promising to bring home fresh fish for dinner. While her mother had faith in them, she was still defrosting chicken breasts just in case daddy had to break that promise.

Now, she and her mother were relaxing under an umbrella in their beach loungers wearing matching straw hats and enjoying morning before it got too hot. They both wore swimsuits, despite the fact that neither of them had any intention of actually getting any part of them in the water except maybe their feet. Her mom had raised an eyebrow at the white two piece she'd put on, but she didn't say anything. Aline Pierce was known to rock a bikini or two just to spend the day reading on the beach back in her day. Besides, the black one piece she was wearing would make her father rant and rave if he'd seen it. Even at 54, she could fill out swimsuit.

It was a day for relaxing and she was more than ready for it. It wasn't all fun though. She was reviewing files on her iPad for a case she was starting when she got back to Atlanta and finding it very hard to focus on case precedents between enjoying the day and thinking about Rick.

She missed him terribly already and if she felt this off kilter after not seeing him for a week, they were going to have to talk about the fact that weekends weren't enough anymore sooner than either of them expected. It was yet another thing increasing the speed of the bullet train that was their relationship and if she was thinking think about it, she was sure the thought had crossed his mind too.

All of that was a little too deep for a beach day, so she glanced over at her mother and laughed out loud when she saw the cover of the book her mom had her nose buried in.

"What's so funny over there?" Aline asked, without looking up from her book. "I didn't realize case files were funny."

"They're not, I just can't believe you still like those trashy romance novels," she replied. "Don't they all have the exact same plot?"

Her mother shook her head and turned the page of her book. "Don't talk about my books, baby girl. Sometimes I just want to escape from the real world for a little while. You wouldn't be in need of anything like that these days though…"

She knew what her mother was implying but she decided to play along for a little bit just see how long it would take for her just flat out ask about Rick.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, pretending to dive back into the case files on her tablet.

"Baby, you're glowing. I saw it the minute you stepped in the house. Even your daddy mentioned something about you looking happy and you know that man is as oblivious as they come."

Michonne heard the smile in her mother's voice, along with a plethora of underlying questions. "Things are really good right now," she offered; obviously omitting any details as to why things were "really good".

Her mother huffed, and closed her book on her lap. "Since you haven't told me anything yet, I have to assume that things are going well with your King County Sheriff…,"

She grinned and laid her tablet down. "Less than 2 minutes! I was wondering how long it was going to take you to ask me about him…," she teased.

Her teasing was met with a raised eyebrow from her mother.

"I shouldn't have to ask you," Aline reprimanded, "You should've just told me."

"I was going to. I was waiting for daddy to not be around. You know how he gets," she said, and her mother nodded.

"You're always going to be a little girl to him but he ain't here now so tell me about your man. Give me something that rivals my smutty books."

She glanced at her mom out of the corner of her eye. "For that level of detail, you're gonna have to stick to your books."

"Michonne…don't make me exercise my hands around your neck," her mother said, demonstrating her always unique way with words.

"Ok, ok...so much has happened that I don't even know where to begin," she laughed. Putting into words everything that had happened and was still happening between her and Rick was an impossible task. How do you describe meeting someone who makes you feel like you've loved them your entire life after a few weeks? She struggled finding words that wouldn't diminish the inexplicable connection that sparked between them from the minute they met.

It was like her mother sensed her distress because she suggested, "How about you start by showing me one of the pictures of him you have on your tablet over there?"

Relieved by her temporary reprieve, she scrolled through the pictures on her iPad and finally landed on one from the previous weekend in King County. It was a selfie of her and Rick, taken during their Ferris wheel ride. They were both smiling into the camera with the sun was setting in the background and somehow his eyes looked even more blue than they usually did. They were cheek to cheek, and just looking at the picture was forcing her to think about how he always smelled like vanilla and sandalwood and the way his stubble felt against her cheek.

"This is us on our date last week," she said, handing the tablet to her mom for her inspection. Her stomach tightened as she waited for her to comment. Aline was nothing if not bluntly honest and she wondered how she was going to react to the revelation that the man her daughter was seeing was white. Dating outside their race was a subject that had never been broached in her family, mostly because neither she nor Noah ever had.

Aline adjusted her glasses and stared at the picture for only a minute before a wide smile appeared on her face. "Oh, Michonne! He's so handsome and those eyes! Both of you have the same punch drunk smiles on your faces…y'all are entirely too cute! Tell me about him, right now!"

Acquiescing to her mother's demand, Michonne took a deep breath and launched into the whole story starting from the minute Rick approached her in that bar. She told her about how he'd put himself out there for her that first night and how he'd been completely open with how he felt about her from the beginning. She blushed as she spoke of their first few dates and how he treated her like she was this rare and special thing that he would never get enough of.

Her mother had seen his picture, but she needed to know the things the pictures couldn't show, so she described in detail his deep voice and smooth, southern gentleman drawl that sounded like a caress and his confident, bow legged stride. He was sexy without even trying and that was her excuse when she let her mom know that the family peach cobbler recipe still had it's magic even though she hadn't really needed it. They'd both been goners almost from that first minute.

She wanted her mother to know how good Rick was so she spent a long time talking about how he made her feel loved like no other man ever had. He also had a way of making her smile just by being in the same room. She hadn't giggled like a school girl back when she was a school girl but he inspired giggles all the time and she was glad her skin tone didn't let her blushes show because if it did, she'd be always be red.

Her mother seemed a little surprised when she told her about meeting Rick's family; her eyebrows knitting together as she heard all about Carl and Loretta but being replaced by a faint smile when she assured her that both of them had welcomed her without question. Carl was her new best friend and Loretta was pleased as punch just to see her son happy again after a rough few years.

That brought the story of her whirlwind romance to a close and they sat in silence as Aline processed everything. The silence became too much as she waited for her to say something...anything.

"You're awfully quiet over there, mom…," she prodded.

"You have to admit, that's a whole lot for a month of dating…," Aline mused.

That part couldn't be argued. It would've been a lot for a couple who had been together much longer. "It is," she agreed, "But it feels like we've always known each other. God, I sound like a character in one of your books…"

Aline shook her head. "You sound like a woman in love."

Michonne nodded and fell back in her lounger, her mind flooded with thoughts of the man they were talking about. "Yeah, I am. I never thought I'd be saying that about someone I've only known a month, but...he's everything I've ever wanted plus a few things I didn't know I wanted until he came along."

Aline reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm truly happy for you baby. Remember how you wouldn't even introduce us to your ex until y'all had been dating one year. You insisted that y'all couldn't be serious before one full year had gone by. Now look at you."

Michonne laughed at the way she tended to overanalyze everything and how being with Rick had quieted that. "This is different..."

"I'm glad. Lord knows you can be in your head too much sometimes. You need to start following your heart every now and then," said Aline.

It was something she'd heard her whole life and she usually just shook it off; but for the first time, she'd actually done it and she couldn't be more grateful for it. "I'm working on it," she admitted.

Aline smiled, "Good. I'm also trying to figure out why you didn't bring him with you this weekend. His mama got to meet you and I'm feeling a little slighted," she said.

"He had to work but I'll work on getting him here before the summer is out," she promised.

"You'd better…and y'all better bring his son with you too!"

"Rick has Carl all summer so it shouldn't be a problem."

They both got quiet for a minute and the waves crashing against the shore was the only thing breaking the silence until Aline shook her head and sighed. "You know your daddy is going to go off the deep end when he finds out his baby girl is in love with a white cop from King County, Georgia."

She groaned, knowing her mother was right. Her father had a tendency to say whatever popped in his head without caring about the fallout. "God. Can you please talk to him?"

Aline shrugged, "I can try but after what happened with the scrub you almost married, your daddy feels like he got played and he'll be dammed if he lets it happen again. So your man better be ready," cautioned Aline.

Before she could respond, her iPad buzzed on her mother's lap and they both looked down to see a text from Rick.

 **Rick: I miss you**

Aline shot her a knowing smile. "Looks like your sheriff is feeling a little lonely."

Michonne felt the blush creeping across her cheeks. "I haven't talked to him today. I was planning to call him when we're done here."

Aline lifted the tablet from her lap and activated the camera, pointing it over at her. "Mom? What are you doing?"

"Trust me. Now, lean back a little bit and smile," she commanded.

Michonne did as she was told and when Aline handed her the tablet back, she had to admit it was a good picture…even though it showed quite a bit of her skin.

"I look like one of those girls in Maxim," she said, feeling more than an a little proud that she she could still pull off that look at her age.

A wicked smile appeared on her mother's face as she picked up her book and flipped back to her page. "Send it to him," she encouraged, "It'll give him something to think about."

 **XXXXX**

She stayed on the beach with her mother reading, laughing, and gossiping until the temperature got to be little too much for both of them and they retreated inside. After lunch, her mom went to take a nap; leaving Michonne time to take a shower and then make a very important phone call.

It was a little after noon and he should've been on a lunch break and she was thrilled when he picked up on the first ring.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He asked, his frustration bleeding into his words and she knew it had to be a result of the picture she'd sent.

"What? I just thought you'd want to see the beach…," she offered.

He chuckled, and she could picture him running his hand over his face. "Don't act all innocent with me. There was only a sliver of beach in that picture you sent. Most of it was you in that bathing suit looking like you should be on the cover of Sports Illustrated."

"You didn't like it?" She asked.

"Oh, I loved it," he said almost a little too eagerly. "It just made me wish I was there with you, is all." His voice was filled with longing and it made her heart hurt a little bit.

"Aww…I miss you too," she said, "…more that you could possibly know."

"How's the trip going?" He asked.

"Really great. My mom and I spent the morning on the beach and I told her all about you. She wants you and Carl to come down this summer."

"We'd love to," he agreed, "I have a week off at the end of July so we could plan something for then?"

"Yeah. I'll request time off then too…how's work?"

"Slow. Everyone is either out of town or getting ready raise hell after the sun goes down. It's gonna be a long night," he sighed.

"At least you have Shane to keep you company," she said.

A humorless laugh slipped out of him, "Yeah…so don't send me any more pictures like that tonight. If I have to hear Shane talk about how hot you are again, I'm gonna have to kick his ass."

The thought of Shane ogling the picture she'd sent, embarrassed her to no end. "I can't believe you showed him that…"

"I didn't! The asshole swiped it right out of my hand!"

His irritation made her embarrassment disappear. "You're going to have to work on your reflexes."

"In my defense, I was a bit distracted by your body," he confessed.

"Mom said I should give you something to think about," she flirted.

"Well, you did. I'm thinking about all the things I want to do when you get home," he whispered; his rough drawl making goosebumps pop across her skin.

She cleared her throat, "You'll have to tell me all about it when you're off the clock, sergeant."

"How about I show you when you get home, counselor?" He asked; the question sounding more like a temptation.

She smiled and fell back against the pillows on her bed. "I like the way that sounds…"

"Me too."

She wanted to stay on the phone and talk to him longer but he was on the job and she had to help him focus on what he was supposed to be doing. "I should go," she said, trying not to sound as disappointed as she was at the though of letting him go. "I wanted to get a nap in before my dad and Noah get home from fishing. If they caught anything, I'm going to have to help clean them."

"Are you telling me my hot, big city, lawyer girlfriend knows how to clean fish? I'll be dammed," he teased.

"Shut up," she giggled, "I'll have you know that I am full of surprises,"

"…and I'm looking forward to discovering all of 'em," he agreed.

"Be safe tonight," she said, "I love you."

"I will and I love you too. Talk to you later?"

"Sooner is always better. Bye, baby."

"Bye."

She dropped the phone on the bed next to her and closed her eyes, hoping her nap would be filled with dreams of Rick Grimes.

 **XXXXX**

Michonne dropped her napkin onto her plate and leaned back in her seat, rubbing her belly in satisfaction. "Mom, that was so good! I can't get fried fish that comes anywhere close to yours in Atlanta."

Aline tried to hide her pleasure at the compliment, but a proud little smile danced on her lips. "Thank you baby but your it's your daddy and Noah who came through," she said.

At the other end of the table, her father was still stuffing himself with cornbread and fried potatoes but he took a time out to address his girls. "Did y'all ever think we wouldn't?"

"Of course not dear." Aline winked at Michonne; a reminder that the defrosted chicken hiding in the bottom of the refrigerator was for the next night's dinner and not a back up plan just in case the fish weren't biting.

Michonne smiled to herself and Noah looked up from his plate and across the table at her. "Where you been lately, Mimi? I haven't seen you on Insta in a while." Noah had started calling her Mimi when he was a baby and couldn't quite say Michonne. It stuck because even though he was in grad school working on his master's degree in electrical engineering at FIT, he still called her Mimi.

She frowned, "If you wanted to check in on me, you could just call, Noah." While she and her younger brother were very close, he had a bad habit of never calling her. He was perfectly content exchanging texts and comments on Instagram posts.

"I know that, sis. I kinda like those arty pictures you post," he explained. He was right; her Instagram had become a gallery for her photography hobby but it had been pretty empty lately.

"I've been busy…," she said, not wanting to explain that she didn't want to turn into one of those people who filled their social media with pictures of their significant other.

Aline took a sip of her iced tea and mumbled, "Busy with that man of yours…"

Her head shot over to her mother who was looking a little too pleased with herself after throwing her daughter under the bus.

Noah's eyes widened, "Man? You didn't tell me you got a new man."

"Yes. I've been seeing someone for about a month now," she admitted.

Sam chuckled from his seat at the head of the table, "A month? Shoot, he ain't her man yet if it's only been a month."

Noah agreed, "Pop's right. It's not that serious if she hasn't posted him on the gram. Unless...she's trying to keep things on the low..."

She rolled her eyes at her brother. "I don't put all my business on the internet for everyone to see like the little girls you date, Noah."

Noah shrugged, "No, but I swear you posted a pic of you and Mike at least twice a week," he fired back.

"Noah," Aline warned, but Noah completely ignored her.

"You're not back with him, are you? Is that why you're keeping it on the DL?"

Her father laid his fork across his plate and raised an eyebrow in her direction. "That ain't happening. She knows that I'd have to cuss her out if she brought that trifling ni..."

Aline narrowed her eyes at her husband, "Sam!"

"...that person…," he corrected, "…back into her life. Right, Michonne?"

"I'm not back with him," she said, hoping that was enough to allow her dad to go back to his dinner but his interest was peaked. Sam leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest; the universal sign that he was ready for a conversation and it wasn't going to be over until he said it was.

"So who's this man you got that your momma seems to know so much about?" He asked.

"Sam, eat your dinner and stop giving her the third degree," directed Aline in a half-hearted attempt to clean up what she'd started. In a way, Michonne was glad they were getting this out of the way before Rick was actually there to witness it.

"I'm just trying to figure out why she already told you all about him and they haven't even been seeing each other that long," said Sam.

Aline dismissed him with a wave of her hand, "It's not a big deal. She told me about him a couple of weeks ago when she called to ask for the peach cobbler recipe…" Her mother caught herself too late. Her father's eyes widened and Noah burst into a wide grin while Michonne closed her eyes and braced for impact.

Sam sat up straight in his chair. "PEACH COBBLER RECIPE?! The hell…" He boomed; the knowledge of what that peach cobbler recipe represented written all over his face.

"Daddy…"

He cut her off immediately. "You made that man peach cobbler and you expect me to believe it's not serious?"

She looked at her mother for help but it was too late for that. She sighed, "I didn't say it wasn't serious, daddy. That was you and Noah."

Sam cocked his head to the side and fixed her with the same look he'd give her when she was a teenager and he'd catch her sneaking in past curfew. "How serious could you be about some sweet talking brother you've only known a month?"

"He's a good man...and we're he took me to meet his mama serious," she said and Noah nearly choked on his tea.

Suddenly, her baby brother flew into overprotective mode. "His mama?! Who the hell is this guy that has you all caught up?"

"Noah James Pierce, both you and your daddy know better than to curse at my dinner table," Aline corrected, earning a sheepish look from her brother.

"I'm sorry mom…"

Michonne sat up straighter in her seat. "His name is Rick and he's in law enforcement."

A little bit of the annoyance slipped from her father's face. "He's in the Atlanta PD? I have some friends I can call to check this dude out,"

Michonne shook her head, "Sheriff's deputy."

Sam had already pulled his phone from his pocket and was scrolling through the contacts list. "That's fine. I know people in all the sheriffs offices too."

Michonne took a deep breath, "He's with the King County Sheriff's Office," she said and that made her father freeze and raise an disbelieving eyebrow at her.

"You got sweet talked by a country ass brother from King County? I didn't know they had brothers in King County," he said.

She shook her head. It was now or never. "He's not...country and he's not a brother."

Glee washed across Noah's face while shock spread across her father's.

"Haaaa! Mimi's dating a white dude!" Noah announced, before falling into a fit of laughter.

Sam glared at his son. "Shut up, Noah," he commanded, and Noah quickly pulled it together as Sam turned his attention back to Michonne. "Let me get this straight. My smart, beautiful, level headed, daughter is seeing a sheriff's deputy from backwoods King County, Georgia who also happens to be white,"

Michonne opened her mouth to respond but was silenced by her mother's hand on her arm.

"Now Sam, we raised our kids to see people for who they are not for the color of their skin," Aline said, pulling Sam's attention completely to her.

"I know we did but he's from King County! I know you've heard the stories out of those little Georgia towns," Her father sounded exasperated, but underneath that he sounded worried.

Aline shook her head. "Now you know as well as I do that there are bad people everywhere but there are good people everywhere too. We are not going to judge him because of where he's from."

"Aline…," he began, but her mother wasn't having it.

"That's all there is to it. She's happy and that's what matters. She's bringing him and his son down to meet us this summer and I'm glad you're getting all of this out of your system before then."

Sam's eyes grew large again. "He has a kid too?" He questioned.

It was Aline's turn to narrow her eyes at him and Michonne recognized that look as being the one that always made her dad get back in line. "Yes, Sam. Is that a problem?" she asked pointedly.

He shook his head and picked up his fork."Nah…ain't no problem. None of this is any problem at all. I'm just gonna sit over here eat my dinner since none of y'all care what I have to say anyway."

Aline took another slice of cornbread and slathered butter all over it before taking a bite. "That's a good idea, dear. Just eat your food," she said.

 **XXXXX**

 **Sunday**

The smell of coffee was the first thing that hit her when she came into the house after waking up early to go running on the beach. She expected to find her mother sitting at the breakfast bar but instead she found her father reading the paper. They hadn't spoken since their "conversation" the night before and she knew it wasn't over.

She pulled her earbuds out of her ear and walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, daddy," she greeted and Sam looked up from his paper and his smile immediately faded.

"Morning...please tell me you don't go out running dressed like that in Atlanta," he said.

She glanced down at her cropped running leggings and sports bra and rolled her eyes. "This is what people wear to go running, daddy. Where's Mom?"

"She's upstairs. I made coffee. Would you like a cup?"

"Sure."

He reached over and poured her a mug from the pot. "I know you like yours all sweet and light," he said, motioning over to the cream and sugar already sitting on the bar.

"Thanks," she grinned and she slid onto the stool next to him to start fixing her coffee the way she liked it. After a minute, she noticed her dad looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Something you need to say, daddy?"

He sighed and sat his mug down. "You know I don't give a damn about your boyfriend being white, right?"

She smiled and gave hime the same side eye he'd been giving her. "I know."

"I kinda always thought you and that Daryl kid were going to try it out…," he began and that revelation earned him all of her attention.

"Really? He's always been like my brother," she said. She and Daryl had never even considered crossing that line in all their years of friendship.

Her father nodded, "That's what your mother would say but you're my only daughter so my eye was gonna be on his mumbling ass regardless."

"Daddy…" He always had something not so complimentary to say about Daryl even though he always treated him like another son.

He laughed and kept on talking, "What I'm saying is, because of that I already had time to get my head around you being with a white guy, so that's not my issue with this whole thing," he defended.

"What is your issue?" She asked, unable to think of a reason for his reaction to the news of Rick the night before.

Sam turned to face her and she saw the worry in his eyes. "I just worry about you, Michonne. After everything went down with Mike, you just disappeared on us. I mean, you'd call us, let us know you were alive but you...the real you... was gone for a long time."

She looked away for a minute, finding it hard to face the truth of what her self imposed isolation after her wedding that wasn't did to her family. Those were some dark days and her father wasn't the only one who didn't want to relive them.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but he placed a gentle hand over hers.

"You don't have to be sorry. It's in the past. Now you're with this new guy, the first guy since it all happened, and it's serious after a month. I'm worried that you're jumping into this thing head first and I don't want to see you get hurt again. I'm your father and you can't blame me for that," he explained, and she couldn't deny him that. Seeing it from the perspective of a father who had watched his daughter go through something she should've never had to go through, she understood his concern.

She squeezed her father's hand. "I get it, daddy. If you'd told me six months ago I'd be in love with guy I just met, I would've called you crazy, but here I am."

Sam pursed his lips before taking another sip of his coffee. "In love, huh? Are you sure you both are on the same page with that?"

She smiled over at her dad, "I'm sure," she insisted. "He makes me so happy, daddy. When you meet him, you'll understand."

He nodded, "Alright then…hurry up and get him down here so I can see for myself. I'll keep my opinions to myself until then."

"You're gonna like him. He's a fisherman too," she said, earning a grunt from her dad.

"Yeah...I bet he loves shooting beer cans off of fence posts too," he said; his implication clear.

"Daddy, no…"

"What? I bet he drives one of those big ass monster trucks with a rifle in the back window...listening to Johnny Cash on the way to the Piggly Wiggly," he ventured.

She couldn't help the laugh that slipped out at the slight truth in his accusation. "Oh my god, stop…"

Sam was laughing right along with her. "I'm right aren't I? Lord. My baby girl is dating Sheriff Buford Justice!"

She frowned, "Who?"

"Smokey and the Bandit? Redneck sheriff chasing Burt Reynolds all over the state of Georgia?"

She rolled her eyes because her daddy was always making some obscure reference to something he saw on television. "You watch way too much tv, daddy."

"It ain't on tv, it's a movie," he corrected.

"Doesn't matter. You watch too much everything."

"I'm retired and if all I want to do is go fishing and watch tv, it's what I'm gonna do…", he began, but Noah walking into the kitchen looking like he'd just crawled out of bed interrupted his train of thought. "Oh look. The dead has risen."

Noah rubbed his eyes and tumbled over to the coffee maker. "Morning…it's not even that late," he yawned.

Sam shook his head in displeasure. "It's ten o'clock in the morning, son. The day is nearly half gone."

Noah finished making his coffee before collapsing into a barstool. "My internship starts next week, pops. Can I please enjoy my last few days of freedom,"

"Welcome to the real world. Where people have jobs they have to go to," Sam preached and Michonne, having heard this lecture dozens of times, polished of what was left of her coffee before moving to go upstairs.

"Oh here we go," Noah groaned. "Help me Mimi."

She laughed, "Oh no! You're on your own, baby brother. Hey, are we still hanging out later?"

Noah nodded, "Yeah. My boys wanna meet you but now you got a man, so..."

She clicked her tongue and raised an eyebrow. "I'm 35 years old, Noah. Like I would give any of your little boys the time of day even if I didn't? Please!"

Sam shook his head and snapped his fingers in front of Noah's face. "Stop trying to pimp out your sister and listen to me, Noah. Your mother and I did you a disservice by not making you work…"

Michonne couldn't help but giggle as she jogged up the stairs to the sound of her father trying to lecture lazy out of her brother. She walked past her parent's bedroom and saw her mother sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window.

"Good Morning, mom," she greeted and Aline turned around slowly.

"Good Morning…you went running I see," she said.

Michonne entered the room more fully and leaned against the dresser facing her mother. "Yeah…I've been eating too good these last few weeks…you slept late today. Is everything ok?"

Aline nodded and sighed. "I guess I was just tired. Is your father downstairs?"

"Yeah. He's giving Noah a hard time about being 23 and only on his first job," she informed and her mother just shook her head.

"That man needs to stop," she said.

She reminded her mother, "Daddy is always going to be daddy".

"Did you two talk?" Aline questioned.

Her mind drifted back to her conversation with her father and she nodded. "Yep. Everything is good now."

Her mother looked relieved at that news. "Good. I'm sorry for putting you out there like that last night but I figured better now than when you bring your sheriff here."

"I agree…but warn me next time," she said. Aline nodded and went back to putting lotion on her hands and arms. "…So what do you want to do today, mom? We could go shopping over at one of the malls around here…"

Aline didn't stop what she was doing. "Do you remember my friend Maria?" She asked. "You met her last time you were here. She usually helps me retwist my locs. I have an appointment to see her today."

Michonne seemed to recall a meeting her the last time she down there. "I think so, but you don't need to go see her. I can help you retwist them…," she offered.

"She's also a barber who works from her home and I was just thinking...maybe I should cut my hair," confessed Aline and Michonne looked to see how long her locs had gotten. They fell to the middle of her back and while that was longer than her mother had ever let them get, it didn't seem too long.

"Seriously? How short?" She asked.

"All of it. You know what they say. A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life," she answered and Michonne felt her mouth fall open. She could barely remember her mother without locs and now she was talking about cutting them off completely.

Alarm bells were ringing in her head but she tried to remain calm by pushing down her rising panic. "Ok, now you're starting to worry me. What's going on?"

Aline looked up at her and there was something in her dark eyes that Michonne hadn't seen there before.

"Come here and sit with me for a minute," she said, patting the bed next to her. "We wanted to tell you and your brother together, but maybe it's better this way."

Michonne obeyed and saw on the bed next to her mother. "Tell us what?" The panic was back but this time she couldn't hold it down. It grew and formed a solid lump in her throat and she was finding it difficult to breathe.

"You know I've never been one to beat around the bush so…I have breast cancer," she revealed and the words hit her like knives piercing through her soul.

"Wh-what…," she stuttered, and Aline grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly between both of hers.

"They found a lump in my last mammogram, they did a biopsy and here we are. They found it early, and I'm having surgery to remove it but I'm going to need radiation too. My doctor thinks I could be done with the whole thing by Christmas," she explained.

Michonne nodded dumbly and blinked a few times trying to process what her mom was saying to her and no matter how may times her brain tried to reframe it, she kept landing on the same conclusion.

Her mother had cancer and no matter how early and treatable they claimed it was, she'd never been more terrified in her life.

She cleared her throat and tried to get her voice to work. "When…when is the surgery?"

"Next Tuesday," Aline confirmed.

She shook her head and tightened her grip on her mother's hand. "I-I should be here…"

"No, I don't want you to put your life on hold for this. Your father has nothing else to do but wait on me hand and foot, so don't you worry," comforted Aline, but it had little effect. She refused to cry; she had to be strong, but her eyes burned with unshed tears.

"You're my mom," she croaked, "How can I not worry about you?"

"I know, baby. It's going to be tough for a little while but I'm going to beat this. I know it in my bones. There's no need for you to worry because I'm going to be around for a long time. You hear me?"

"But…"

"Michonne, listen to me baby. I'm going to be just fine. I'm more concerned that you get checked out not that we know it's in the family. Promise me you will when you get back to Atlanta."

She released a shaky sigh, trying to lock down her fear and panic before promising, "I will".

"Good. Now…they say the radiation is probably going to make my hair fall out and I decided if I have to let go of my locs, it's going to be on my terms. Will you come with me?"

She nodded immediately, stopping only when an idea came into clarity in her head. "Do you think...do you think she'll have time to do mine too?" She asked.

Aline shook her head, "Michonne…I appreciate it baby, but you don't have to..."

It was Michonne's turn to shake her head. "I know. I want to do it. Please let me support you," she begged. There wasn't too much she could do to help her mother fight her illness aside from being there for her, and she was aware that cutting her locs in a show of solidarity wasn't going to miraculously cure her. Still, doing it would make her feel like she she was in it with her.

Her mother must've understood because she cupped her face in her palm for a moment and Michonne saw the pools of tears welling up in her eyes. "Alright then," she conceded, "Go take your shower and I'll give her a call."

 **XXXXX**

Hours later, they were standing in front of the mirror in Maria's home salon admiring their new haircuts. Maria was an excellent barber and the fact that both of them were ready for their locs to be re-twisted, left them both with more hair than they'd expected. Her mother looked at least twenty years younger with her TWA while she'd opted for an even shorter faux hawk cut. They were often mistaken for sisters as it was, but now they looked even more alike.

As they stared at their reflections in the mirror, she noticed her mother's eyes filling with tears. She frowned and was just about to say something when he mother smiled brightly and shook her head.

"No…these are happy tears. We look damn good!"

Within seconds, her smile matched her mother's and she nodded in agreement. "Yes, mamn, we do!"

Aline raised an eyebrow, "What's your man gonna think about this?" she asked.

She really didn't know how Rick was going to react to her hair being gone but she did know that he loved her so it wouldn't matter. "I don't know, but the more important question is, how's daddy going to react?"

Her mother laughed, "We talked about it, so he already knows…but I'm sure he's gonna have something to say about it!"

After leaving Maria's, they did make it to the mall for a very late lunch and shopping. By the time they made home, both of them were loaded down with bags.

"Sam! We're home!" Aline announces as they walked into the house.

She heard her father in the living room, "Finally! Did you two go out and spend all my…money…" His words trailed off as stepped into the hallway and saw them with their new looks.

"Well?" Aline asked, and she had the nerve to look nervous; like she wasn't the only woman Sam Pierce had ever thought about loving. He just stared at Aline for a few silent seconds before walking over and engulfing her in his arms. He hugged her to the point where he was lifting her off the ground, and when he allowed her to find her feet, he gently pressed his lips against her forehead.

"You're beautiful, but you already knew that," he whispered, bringing a bright smile to her mother's face.

She placed her palm against his cheek. "You can be awfully sweet when you want to be Sam Pierce,"

He pulled back and fixed her with a smirk. "Woman…36 years of marriage and you're just learning that?"

Aline laughed and slapped at his chest. "Oh, shut up…" she said and he only laughed more and hugged her even tighter.

Watching them like that reminded her of all the reason why her parents had always been relationship goals for her.

Finally, her dad looked up and smiled at her too like he just remembered she was even standing there. "You decided to get yours done too, huh?" He asked.

She nodded, "You know me and mom are partners in crime."

"It suits you. Makes you look even more like your mother," he complimented.

Michonne cocked her head to the side and grinned at her parents. "Well…if that's not the best compliment I could ever get, I don't know what is," she giggled.

Noah emerged from the living room, tapping away on his phone. "Mimi, are we still…," he stopped and looked between her and their mother, "Y'all cut off your locs…" he mused; confusion settling in his eyes.

Aline and Sam shared a look before Aline left her husband's embrace to draped her arm over her son's shoulders. "Noah…your dad and I need to talk to you about something…"

Michonne took that as her cue to go upstairs and give them time to talk. She was halfway to her room when Rick's ringtone blared from her pocket. The day had gotten away from her and they hadn't talked.

She brought the phone to her ear just as she closed the door to her room.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey, baby," he greeted with a smile in his voice. "I just wanted to call…I hadn't talked to you today and I got to missing you."  
"I know…it's been a day," she said; rubbing her forehead with her thumb and index finger to fight the headache that had been threatening ever since she'd heard her mother's news.

There was a brief silence and when he did speak, the smile was gone replaced with concern. "Is everything alright? You sound upset."

She released the breath she was holding and whispered, "My mom…my mom told me she has breast cancer."

His response was immediate, "Jesus, Michonne. I'm sorry..."

"She doesn't want me to worry but...how can I not?"

He sighed and she could almost see him pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's hard, but you have to try," he said.

"I know…I'm just…scared," she admitted. "They're removing the lump next week and she'll start radiation treatments afterwards. They think she'll be fine after all that," she explained. She was trying to sound confident; like she completely believed in the prognosis, but she probably wasn't fooling him. He'd been through this with his dad and that realization sent the fear swirling around in her stomach again. His father hadn't made it.

"There's nothing I can say to you right now that'll make it better," he said, sounding a little helpless. He was the type of man who wanted to fix things and this was something he couldn't fix.

"No…but thank you for listening," she confided.

"I'm always here for you but I wish I was there with you so I could hold you," he said.

"I wish you were here too," she agreed.

"When do you get in tomorrow?" He asked, and she could almost hear the wheels turning in his head.

She'd completely forgotten about her flight the next day and it took a a minute for her to recall her flight information. "Late…10 I think."

"Dammit...I don't get off till 9:30…," he groaned, his frustration over the fact that he wasn't going to be able to be there for her, evident.

She didn't want him to beat himself up over it. "It's ok. I'll see you Friday like we planned," she said.

"Michonne…," he began and his tone was so comforting, so warm, that it almost made the tears she'd been holding in all day, fall. She had to get off the phone before his calm understanding made her lose it.

"It really is ok," she interrupted. "I have to go. They're telling Noah now and I should be there for him after…"

"I understand. Call me if you need to. I don't care if I'm working or not," he said.

"Ok…I love you," she stated.

"I love you too…and Chonne? I know I've never met your mom but can you tell her I'm thinking of her?" He asked.

There it was. His sweet sincerity made the first tear roll down her cheek. "I will. Thank you," she muttered, making herself recover quickly from almost falling apart.

"Ok…," he hesitated like there was more he wanted to say.

"Good night, Rick," she said, hating the was her voice cracked with the emotions she was trying to keep inside.

There was another pause and she knew that he knew what she was trying to do but she hoped he would let it go.

He sighed deeply and said, "Sleep well, baby."

Grateful for the reprieve, she whispered, "You too."

 **XXXXX**

 **Monday**

"Thanks for giving me a lift," she said as Noah pulled his car up to the departures terminal at the airport.

"It was the least I could do considering we didn't go out last night," he replied. After hearing mom's news, Noah hadn't wanted to meet up with his friends anymore and honestly, Michonne was glad. After the day she'd had, hanging out with a bunch of 23 year olds was the last thing she wanted to do.

Instead, they'd stayed home and dad grilled those chicken breasts while she and her mother made a big salad to go with them, and the four of them had dinner together out on the deck enjoying the cool ocean breezes and each other's company. It was like old times; her father had his old school soul playlist pouring through the speakers and she caught him dancing with her mother by the grill more than once.

After their parents went to bed, she and Noah stayed up all night watching old episodes of _Chappelle's Show_ to take their minds off of everything. When both of them emerged from their rooms well after noon that day, Noah wasn't the only one her father called a lazy ass.

"Maybe next time?" She offered, but Noah shook his head.

"Next time you'll be here with your man and I doubt he's the clubbing type," he said.

She had a hard time picturing Rick in a Miami nightclub but he had a way of surprising her. "He might go but either way, but I could still go with you."

Noah raised an eyebrow and looked so much like their father in the process. "And leave him alone with pops?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah…that's probably a bad idea," she admitted.

They climbed out of the car and he pulled her suitcase from the trunk. They stood there silently until she decided to broach the topic neither of them really wanted to discuss.

"Are you ok, Noah?" She asked.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled from side to side for a minute before answering, "Yeah, I'm good. Mom is gonna be fine. I'll be here after the surgery so I'll keep you updated."

She nodded; accepting his answer as proof he really didn't want to talk about it. "Ok…," she said.

Noah closed his eyes and sighed, "I mean…I am scared for her. I don't even wanna think about her not being ok, you know? But mom always says we gotta have faith, right?"

"Right," she agreed remembering all the times she'd hear her mother say those words to her and she'd never been wrong. "Mom's a fighter. She's gonna come out of this even stronger."

"Exactly. Cancer picked the wrong one to mess with…," he began but his voice faded out and she noticed that he was tearing up. She stepped closer and pulled him into her arms just like she did so many times while they were growing up. "Sorry, Mimi…I didn't mean to…"

"It's ok," she cooed, and his arms tightened around her.

He settled down after a few minutes and took a step back out of her arms.

"I'd better get moving before the airport police come get my ass for being parked in the drop off lane," he said.

"Yeah…I'll be back next month but you can call me sometimes you know. I want to hear all about your internship."

"I will. I promise," he said but she didn't expect him to follow through. He would text her and send silly memes just like he always did.

She leaned over and kissed him on the temple. "I love you, baby brother."

"I love you too, Mimi," he said, walking around the hood of the car back to the driver side.

She grabbed her bags and started pulling them toward the terminal doors.

"Hey, Mimi!" He shouted and she turned around to see him leaning against the car facing her. "I expect to see some of those arty pictures up on your Instagram," he demanded.

"Got it," she chuckled.

"…And I guess you can put some pics of my new white brother up too," he added, grinning as he swung open his car door.

Her brother was such a fool. She shook her head and laughed, "I'll think about it."

 **XXXXX**

 _That's it for this one but the next chapter is half done because I split it off of this one so it shouldn't be as long between updates. :) Thank you again for sticking with me and for all of the follows, faves, reblogs, and reviews. You honestly have no idea how much it all means to me._


	11. Wild Love

**Chapter Eleven: Wild Love**

 **Inspired by: Wild Love - James Bay**

It was his eighth day without seeing Michonne and people were starting to notice. When he walked into the diner to grab some breakfast before work, Carol had made a point of asking him if he was ok. Even Shane wasn't talking as much shit as as he usually did and kept asking him if something was wrong. It made I'm wonder if he had a sign over his head that read, "Day 8 Without Michonne". He assured everyone that everything was fine but he couldn't deny the unease that had been creeping up on him ever since he got off the phone with Michonne the night before.

Her mother was sick and the pain in her voice as she told him was so audible that he not only heard it, but he felt it too. For a brief moment, it had dragged him back into a similar moment with his father, but he refused to let it stop him from being positive and supportive for Michonne. It was a different situation, and he didn't want his experience to taint her ability to stay hopeful.

Still, if she wasn't ok, he wasn't either and all he wanted to do was be there for her. Unfortunately, he was in Georgia and she was in Florida so pulling her into his arms and keeping her there until she was better hadn't been an option. Regardless, there was no way he was going to be able to go another four days without seeing her knowing what she was going through.

That's what brought him to be sitting on the steps outside her home at 11:45 at night, waiting for her to get back from the airport. He'd walked right out of the station, climbed into his truck and made his way to Atlanta as quickly as he could without getting a ticket. He wanted to see her so badly, but his bigger motivation for driving to Atlanta was his need to be there for the woman who had made him not only believe in love again but give himself over to it so completely.

She should've already been there when he finally made it to her townhouse but no one answered the door when he knocked. After a quick check on his phone, he saw her flight had been slightly delayed so he sat down on the top step with his elbows on his knees and waited for her.

He scrambled to his feet the minute he saw headlights illuminating the dark street; his heart pounding as the Uber pulled to a stop in front of the house. The need to see her and to verify for himself if she was really ok, overwhelmed him.

After a few minutes, she emerged from the darkness in a pair of jeans and a tank top, dragging her suitcase behind her. She was walking slowly, her shoulders slumped and her gaze focused on the ground.

For a split second, he thought her hair was just pulled back away from her face, but as she moved closer, he was stunned to realize that that her locs were gone. The sides of her head were nearly shaved and the top had been cut down to low curls. His heart dropped; not because her hair was suddenly short, she would always be the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen. He was saddened because he already knew the reason why she'd done it and how devastatingly hard that must've been for her and for her mother.

She was slowly making her way toward the house; stress furrowing her brow and her attention on the ground. He realized she hadn't noticed his truck parked in the space next to hers, and worried about scaring her, he decided to let her know he was there.

"Michonne?" He called.

She froze and lifted her gaze to meet him. Her dark eyes were wide and glassy and her perfect lips formed a surprised "o". Only then did he step off the porch and move toward her; his heart breaking as he read the evidence of exhaustion and worry on her face. Seeing her light dimmed so completely was distressing enough but the disappointing fact that there was nothing he could do about it made him feel even worse.

"You're…here…," she whispered.

"I drove straight here after my shift," he said, and that was all it took for the strong facade he was sure she'd worn ever since her world was shaken off its axis, to come crumbling down. A few tears ran down her cheeks and her shoulders dropped, prompting him to do the one thing he wanted to do from the minute he saw her get out of that car.

"Baby…come here," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her as her body shook with sobs.

She hugged him back and he held her as tight as he could against him as her tears soaked through his shirt. His instincts had been right; she was most certainly not ok and until she was, he wouldn't be either.

 **XXX**

They'd talked most of the night; well…she'd done most of the talking and he just listened as she emptied her soul of everything she'd held in since she was made aware of her mother's diagnosis. All of her fears came pouring out of her in a flood of tears and all he could do was whisper soft reassurances and hold her until her exhaustion overtook her. Her soft breathing alerted him to the fact that she'd fallen asleep and instead of trying to extract himself from her arms, he'd curled up with her and let sleep claim him too.

Now it was morning, and they were sprawled on top of the covers of her bed still in their clothes from the night before. Soft light filtered in through the window, telling him it was just past dawn. She stirred against him and he held her tighter, hoping he could just enjoy this time with her in their little haven before they had to go back into the real world.

"G'morning," she mumbled, "What time is it?"

He glanced at his watch through bleary eyes. "It's too early to even think about getting out of this bed o'clock," his said, his voice thick with sleep.

"I know but I have to go to work today and so do you," she sighed, curling her body around him even more in direct opposition to what she'd just said.

He smiled to himself and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah…I know. I was just trying to delay the inevitable. How are you feeling?"

She squeezed him even tighter and released a deep breath against his chest. "Better. I'm still worried...but my mom is the strongest person I know. She's going to beat this," she said, her voice holding more hope than he'd heard in it all night long.

"Yeah, she is," he agreed, vowing to himself that he would be there for her every step of the way.

"Thank you for coming last night. You didn't have to do that but I'm really glad you did," she said; snuggling in even closer to him and he wasn't about to remind her that they were supposed to be getting up.

He lightly dragged his fingertips across her shoulder blade and down her arm. "I knew you were trying to be strong for your family and I know what happens when you don't have to be anymore," he replied.

She whispered, "Your dad…"

Upsetting her was not his intention so he simply continued, "I was trying so hard to be strong for everyone and when everything finally did hit me...it knocked me on my ass. I didn't want you to have to deal with that on your own."

She lovingly rubbed her fingers across his cheek. "You being here means so much to me," she said.

He smiled and rested his cheek against the top of her head. "You mean so much to me," he mused. They were both quiet for a long moment before he squeezed her a little tighter and sighed, "I do need you to promise me something though…"

She sat up and focused her full attention on him. "Anything," she said.

He sat up too and pulled her hands into his. "When we talked last night, you were trying so hard to stay strong. I just want you to know that you don't have to be strong with me," he said, "So promise me that if you're ever struggling with everything, or just having a bad day, you'll talk to me about it."

A few tears escaped down her cheeks making him realize that he'd sell his soul to make sure she never shed any more unhappy tears. He settled for being able to carefully wipe them away and afterwards, he cradled her face in his hands and waited for her answer.

After a few more sniffles, she managed a weak smile.

"Ok," she agreed.

"Ok," he echoed, and leaned forward to seal their pact with a gentle kiss.

She covered his hands with hers and pulled them back into her lap.

"I need to talk about something else for a little while," she pleaded, "Will you tell me about your week?"

He shrugged, "That's a boring conversation. I worked a lot, I missed the hell out of you...I did run into Daryl at the diner one night. We sat next to each other at the counter and shared silence over dinner."

She shook her head and narrowed her eyes like she was looking right through him. "I don't believe that. You talked about something," she accused.

He rolled his eyes and groaned, "Fine, we talked about cars. It was actually kinda fun talking to someone other than Shane about something other than women."

"I knew it! You two are going to be best friends soon," she teased.

"We'll see...other than that…I spent some time with mama. She's all excited about Jeff coming home," he sighed before continuing, "I love my brother...I do...but he only calls us when he wants something so if he's coming all the way home, he must want something pretty big." He wasn't looking forward to learning about what was pushing Jeff home. He just hoped whatever it was didn't end up hurting their mama's feelings because that was another thing Jeff was real good at doing.

"He might surprise you," she suggested, and even though he seriously doubted it, he nodded along.

"I hope he does. We'll find out in a few weeks," he conceded.

She smiled and asked, "How's Carl?"

There was a subject he was always happy to talk about. "He's counting down the days till he gets to come with me for the summer," he smiled remembering how excited Carl had been the last time he talked to him. Every time I tell him about something we're gonna do, he asks me if you're gonna be there too. I'm starting to think he likes you more than me," he accused.

She laughed for a good twenty seconds before saying, "Nah, I'm just the new thing right now. You'll always be his favorite."

He had a feeling she'd always be Carl's favorite but he decided to just appease her, "If you say so…"

"I do," she grinned and she looked so adorable that he had to lightly kiss her again.

"You know," he began, "what we really need to talk about is your very sexy new haircut."

Almost by reflex, she reached up to touch her head and her eyes widened when she didn't feel her locs. "Oh my god, I completely forgot! Mom was cutting hers to prepare for her treatments, I wanted to support her," she explained.

He nodded, "I figured that, but damn…it suits you. It makes that gorgeous face of yours stand out even more."

She grinned over at him, "You like it?"

He pulled his lip between his teeth, "I love it," he declared, "Maybe I should cut mine too…"

She poked out her bottom lip but there was a teasing sparkle in her eyes. "Maybe…but you should know that I really, really love your curls…"

He couldn't help but laugh at her unspoken demand. "Message received loud and clear."

She fell into a fit of giggles. "Good," she said, "Did I tell you how much I missed you, Sergeant?"

He pretended to think about his answer for moment, "No. I can't say that you did, counselor," he flirted.

"How about I show you," she whispered, crawling over to him and pressing her satiny lips against his. He immediately parted his lips and deepened the kiss; it had been a week and a half since he'd last tasted her like that and she immediately made his head spin. His hands drifted up to cup her face again, holding her closer as his tongue worked past her lips and into the warm cavern of her mouth.

Neither of them made it to work on time.

 **XXX**

 **One Month Later**

"Richard Grimes! You get outta my kitchen right now!" Loretta screeched. Michonne looked up from the potato salad she was putting the finishing touches on to find Loretta swatting at Rick for stealing one of her deviled eggs.

"They're too good to resist, mama," he argued, grinning back at his mother with a little bit of the yellow filling at the corners of his mouth.

"You just better go make sure the chicken isn't burning to a crisp on the grill," she warned.

Jeff was due to show up any minute and Loretta had been buzzing around all day to make sure everything was just right because her baby was coming home and her family was going to be complete for the first time in a long time.

He ignored his mother and sauntered over to Michonne, planting a firm kiss on her cheek. "Baby, will you kindly tell my mother that I have the grill completely under control?"

Loretta smiled at them both through gritted teeth, "Michonne, will you kindly tell my son that if he burns my chicken, that'll be the very last deviled egg he ever eats?"

She turned to Rick and raised an eyebrow at him, "You heard your mother," she smiled.

He was laughing and still focused on her as he backed toward the door leading to the yard. "My mama already likes you so you don't have to always take her side," he teased, before disappearing back outside.

Loretta shook her head and went back to reordering her eggs on the tray so it didn't look like one was missing.

"That son of mine is a whole mess," Loretta laughed.

"Yeah, he is," Michonne agreed.

Loretta wiped her hands on her apron and smiled over at her, "Honey, how's your mama doing?" She asked.

"She's doing well. The doctors are saying the surgery was successful and her first treatment was this week. My dad said she did well considering…," She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts and Loretta covered her hand with hers. "She loved the basket you sent. It was so sweet of you to do that," she continued after taking a deep breath.

Loretta smiled and shook her head, "It was nothing. Let her know I'm praying for her."

"Actually, she wanted me to give her your phone number so she could call to thank you herself," she said, remembering how adamant her mother had been about getting Loretta's phone number. She had a feeling their mothers would soon be conspiring together about her and Rick's relationship, but they'd have to face that challenge when it came.

Loretta nodded, "I'd like that a lot. Now. How are you holding up and don't you dare tell me you're fine."

Michonne sighed and tried to fight the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. The first week or so after she got back from Florida had been incredibly difficult. The successful surgery and the positive prognosis from the doctors had helped her round the corner but she still had moments where she was almost crippled with worry for her mother.

"I talk to her every day but…it's hard not being there with her and it gets to me," she admitted, thinking about the many nights she'd hadn't slept because she couldn't stop worrying about her mother. "But Rick has been so wonderful and my friends in Atlanta make sure to check on me all the time…even Carl keeps texting me the most ridiculous jokes…"

Loretta wrinkled her eyebrows, "What kind of jokes?"

It took Michonne a minute to remember one of the ones that really made her giggle. "Ummm…what do you call a dog magician?" She asked.

Loretta shook her head, "What?"

"A labracadabrador," she revealed, and Loretta stared at her blankly for a split second before bursting into a fit of laugher.

"Oh my goodness! I can't wait to tell that to the ladies at church tomorrow," she said, still chuckling a little bit. "Anyway…I just want you to know we're all here for you, honey. You're family now."

She was still a little taken back when Loretta referred to her as being part of the family but she appreciated it so much. "Thank you," she replied, with a grateful smile.

Loretta put her hand on her hip and gave her a pointed look over the rim of her glasses. "Rick told me about you taking him and Carl down there next month," she said, "He called it y'all's first family vacation…"

Michonne blinked. _First. Family. Vacation._ The metal spoon fell out of her hand and hit the glass serving bowl the potato salad was in with a loud clang. "He did?" she asked; struggling to keep her voice as even as possible.

Loretta cringed and smiled sheepishly, "Me and my big mouth…don't tell him I told you that. He'll stop telling me anything."

"I won't say anything," Michonne promised.

"However, by that smile of yours, I can see that his description is ok with you…" Loretta was fishing for confirmation that she was in just as deep with her son as he was with her.

Without giving it a second thought Michonne nodded, "It is," she agreed, bracing for the line of questioning she was sure would follow.

Loretta clasped her hands together excitedly but before she could say anything else, the chime of the doorbell turned her head toward the front of the house. A wide smile burst across her face as she quickly untied her apron and hung it on the back of one of the barstools. "He's here!"

Grateful to be literally saved by the bell, Michonne watched as Loretta made her way to the front door and swung it open.

"Jeffy!" Her voice was practically a squeal as a man stepped through the door. He was tall and his faded jeans and tight black t-shirt put his well-built body on display. His wavy golden brown hair was a little longer than Rick's, and he had bright blue eyes that Michonne could see all the way from her vantage point in the kitchen. His tan cheeks and neck were covered in a tawny scruff with a little blond mixed in. There were definitely some good genes in the Grimes family because Jeff was almost as handsome as his older brother.

"Hey, mama!" He greeted with a deep drawl and a big smile. Loretta cupped his face in her hands and just stared at him a moment before pulling him into her arms in a warm hug. He responded by squeezing her tight enough to lift her off her feet and her girlish giggle rang throughout the house.

He was dramatically kissing all over Loretta's face and Michonne gave them their moment by leaving to join Rick and Carl outside. Carl had decided it was time for him to learn how to grill too so he'd been shadowing his father all afternoon. Right then, Rick was closely supervising him as he brushed the meat with more of Loretta's homemade sweet heat sauce.

As if he'd sensed her, Rick looked up from the grill and she felt his eyes tracing her from head to toe from the moment she stepped through the screen door. He'd made a point of telling her how much he liked her green sundress that morning, so much so that they were almost late getting to Loretta's.

"Mama send you to make sure we're not burning her chicken?" He asked; his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"No," she laughed, "I wanted to let you know your brother is here."

Carl dropped the sauce brush on the tray. "Uncle Jeff is here? Cool," he yelled.

"Carl…" Before Rick could get out whatever he was going to say, Carl was already running through the door. He released a deep sigh and started moving the meat off the grill to the serving tray. "I guess grilling takes a backseat to Uncle Jeff," he laughed.

"I guess so," she agreed. "Need some help with that?" she asked, walking up behind him and placing her palm on his back.

"I'm good," he said, "Let's go introduce you to my brother."

When they got back inside, she could hear Carl talking a mile a minute telling his uncle about his baseball team who'd won their very first game the night before. After dropping off the chicken in the kitchen, Rick took her hand and led her toward those voices in the living room. Carl was sitting on the carpet in front of Loretta and Jeff who were on the sofa.

Loretta had her son's hand clutched tight in both of hers and she already looked so happy but when she saw them in the archway, her smile grew even more.

"Now the whole family is here!" She shouted.

"There's my big brother," exclaimed Jeff; rising to his feet and quickly closing the distance between them to embrace his brother. Rick barely had time to let go of her hand before his arms were full of Jeff. "Getting a little grey these days, huh Rick?" Jeff teased in the way that only brothers could.

Rick chuckled and playfully shoved his brother away from him. "I may be going grey but I can still take you, little brother," he replied.

Jeff laughed, and up close Michonne could see the family resemblance even more. "Man, it's so good to see you Rick!"

Rick nodded, his tension over his brother coming home seemingly dissipated for the moment. "You too, Jeff," he grinned.

A loud sigh from Loretta interrupted the brotherly love. "Rick! Stop being rude and make your introductions," she commanded.

"I was getting to it, mama," sighed Rick, rolling his eyes as he grabbed Michonne's hand. "Jeff, this is Michonne Pierce, my girlfriend," he said.

Jeff turned his attention to her and his eyes widened a little bit before he extended his hand toward her. "Well, hello Miss Michonne," he greeted.

She met his hand with hers and gave him her friendliest smile. "Nice to meet you, Jeff," she said, "I've heard a lot about you."

"Whatever you heard, I'm not that bad anymore, I swear," he laughed, "Where in the world did my brother find you? You definitely ain't from round here."

"I'm from Atlanta," she said.

Jeff smiled, "I knew it! They just don't grow women like you in King County." While it sounded like he was flirting, she could tell that's just how Jeff was. Naturally outgoing and charming where Rick was more reserved and saved all the charm for the people he was closest to. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Michonne. I've got stories about this one that you'll never believe..."

"Which you shouldn't," Rick interrupted, "Because they're probably not true."

Jeff nudged her arm and whispered conspiratorially, "No need to get all defensive if they ain't true, right Michonne?"

She glanced over at Rick and giggled at the adorable frown on his handsome face.

"Jeff, quit antagonizing your brother so we can go eat," directed Loretta, rising from the couch and joining them in the archway. "Y'all can catch up over dinner." She looped her arms through Rick's and Jeff's and walked between both of them toward the dining room leaving Carl and Michonne to follow.

"Grandma is super happy that Uncle Jeff is home," Carl whispered, "I hope he stays longer this time."

Michonne pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped a picture of Loretta's petite form flanked by both of her tall, handsome sons as they walked away from them before nodding and draping her arm over Carl's shoulders, "Me too."

 **XXX**

Seeing his mama so happy made Rick happy, but it also worried him. If she was this happy that Jeff was home, how devastated was she going to be when he inevitably left again? Jeff had always been good at leaving since the moment he graduated high school and swore he'd never come live in King County again. 15 years later, that was probably the only promise he'd kept in his whole life. The longest he'd been back was when their father died but even then it was only for a few days.

He didn't want Jeff's antics to hurt their mother anymore so he made up his mind to have a word with his brother before he could get started on whatever hustle he had planned before leaving again.

After dinner, he'd grabbed two beers from the fridge and beckoned Jeff to come sit on the porch with him to catch up. Loretta, Michonne, and Carl were engrossed in a very competitive game of Crazy 8's at the dining room table, so they barely noticed when the two brothers disappeared outside.

It was mid-afternoon, but the sun was still bright and they sat in the rocking chairs on the front porch and quietly sipped their beers. Even though he'd been the one who wanted to talk, Rick wasn't sure how to get the conversation started. Despite everything, he did love his brother and if he really was home with good intentions, he'd hate to be the reason to drive him away.

Jeff was the first to break the silence. "Your girlfriend is real pretty...sweet too. Mama seems to like her and mama don't like nobody," he laughed.

Rick smiled, "I think she sees that aside from Carl, Michonne is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Jeff nodded and took a long swig of his beer and said, "That's good…real good. You traded up if you ask me."

Rick wasn't about to remind his brother about the crush he'd harbored on Lori all through high school. Instead, he just grinned and picked at the label on his beer bottle. "She's most certainly out of my league and it's my job to make sure she never realizes it," he mused, with a slight shake of his head.

"Dad used to say that about mama," said Jeff and Rick nodded at the memory.

"I guess I finally understand what he meant by it," he admitted.

"Remember when we were kids and dad used to sit out here with a beer in his hand, telling us stories about him and his brothers raising all kinds of hell when they were kids?" Asked Jeff.

Rick laughed quietly at the memory of their dad sitting in the very chair he was sitting in, with a beer in his hand and a smile on his face as he told them some pretty tall tales. "Yeah…then he'd threaten to beat our asses if we ever tried anything he told us," he laughed.

Jeff nodded, "…but we never tried any of it not because of his threats but because we knew mama really would beat our asses."

"That's true," Rick agreed.

"I miss him, you know. Sometimes I forget he ain't here…," whispered Jeff and all of the good will Rick had built toward his brother vanished with those few words.

He flashed back to the last weeks of his father's life when he kept asking when Jeff was coming and neither he nor Loretta could answer for why Jeff wasn't there. He'd watched his mother break down in tears every time she told his father that Jeff was on his way knowing that he wasn't. It only added more pain to an already heartbreaking situation, and Rick wasn't sure if he could forgive his brother for that.

He slammed his bottle down on the porch railing and glared at Jeff. "Maybe you should've spent more time here with him before he passed. Mama begged you to come home...I begged you…," he said; his anger building up higher with every word.

Jeff's eyes widened and he for a minute, Rick thought he saw tears in them. "I wanted to remember him how he was. It was too hard to see him like that," he defended. Jeff was always good at making excuses and that was just another one.

Rick kept his hardened stare and gritted, "You don't think it was hard for us too? We were here with him day in and day out, but it was too hard for you to come home to say goodbye to him before he passed. You were always a selfish little shit but I never thought you were that selfish."

"I'm sorry," Jeff began.

Rick cut him off, "I don't need your apologies now. You had your chance when you finally did show up for the funeral but then you left the next day after asking for an advance on your inheritance. Mama was a mess and we needed you here…," he paused, debating with himself over whether or not to confess the thing that hurt him more than anything else. "I needed you here."

Jeff stood up and paced the porch. The tears Rick thought he saw in his eyes were now freely rolling down his cheeks. "I know! It kills me every day that I didn't get the chance to tell him goodbye and I wasn't here for y'all either," he cried, "If I can't apologize, what can I do to make it right?"

There was no such thing as time travel, so as far as Rick was concerned there was nothing Jeff could do to change what happened. "You can't make that right. All you can do is be a better man going forward. That's what dad would've wanted," he concluded.

"Now you really sound like him," said Jeff.

Rick shrugged, "At least one of us does."

Jeff wiped at his tears with the back of his hand, "I swear to God, I'm trying to be better. I've changed over the last couple years. I realized that family is all we got in this world. I'm home because this is where I belong," he said.

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He wanted to believe him but there was just too much history; too many let downs. "How long are you planning to stay this time?" He asked.

His brother slumped back into his chair with his head thrown against the back. "That's just it. I'm staying for good," he said.

Rick narrowed his eyes at his brother, "What?"

"Before I came over here, I met with Hershel about a job. He's not getting any younger and his girls don't want to run a farm…at least that's what mama told me. She was right because Hershel says I can start working for him right away," Jeff explained.

Rick asked, "You planning on staying with mama?"

Jeff nodded, "For a while...but I'm gonna have to find a place of my own soon."

There was something in the way Jeff said those words that made Rick suspicious and his cop nature kicked in. "You're hiding something. You in trouble?" He questioned.

Jeff shook his head,"Nah…not the kind of trouble you're thinking anyway."

"What's going on? You better tell me now," Rick demanded, bracing himself for whatever dark secret Jeff was bound to reveal.

Jeff pulled his phone from his pocket and swiped around for a few seconds before holding the phone out to him.

"I have a kid," he announced.

Rick's mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out as he tried to recover from the bomb his brother had just dropped on him. That wasn't even on the list of irresponsible things he thought he'd hear come out of Jeff's mouth. "What?"

He took the phone from his brother's hand and exhaled deeply when he saw the picture of a baby with a mop of blonde curls and their father's eyes, and all of his anger slowly melted away.

"That is your niece, Savannah Lynn Grimes...named after mama," Jeff explained with a proud grin dancing on his lips.

Rick covered his mouth with his hand and tried to picture his little brother being somebody's daddy. "Shit...how old is she?"

"Almost one," Jeff answered.

"Where's her mother?" He felt like he was still interrogating him, but he needed to know everything.

Jeff shook his head, "That's a long story but she's not around anymore. She was only 19 when I got her pregnant..."

Rick sighed, "Jesus Christ, Jeff…"

"I know…you ain't gotta tell me. Anyway, her parents disowned her but we tried to make it work. I thought we were doing good until she up and left us in the middle of the night." Jeff's words were dripping with bitterness and the protective part of Rick who'd beat up kids on the playground for picking on his little brother, clawed up to the surface. He was already thinking of asking Michonne if she knew any family attorneys who could make sure Savannah's deadbeat mother couldn't just show up and take her back.

Rick scratched at his beard, and whispered, "Damn…"

"Yeah, I can really pick em...," Jeff mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Rick had no comment on that but he understood. Until he met Michonne, his track record hadn't been stellar. "Her family was willing to take her back but not with the baby and definitely not with me. After she left, I called mama to say I was coming home," Jeff finished.

"Where's Savannah now?" He asked.

"She's at Hershel's farm with Beth. I wanted to warm mama up to the idea before bringing her over," answered Jeff.

"You need to tell mama now and then you need to go get your daughter and bring her home," said Rick.

"Mama's gonna be pissed, ain't she?"Jeff worried but there was nothing Rick could think of to make him feel better. Their mama was going to completely flip out when she heard the news.

"You didn't tell her she had another grandchild. You'll be lucky if she doesn't kill you," Rick began, "But she'll get over it. The most important thing now is that little girl."

"Being a daddy changes you...but you know that already. I want to be the kind of daddy our father was and coming home was the only way I could see to do it," admitted Jeff.

Rick had never been more profundity of Jeff than he was in that moment. "The fact that you realize that, proves that you're trying. We're here for you and Savannah. Anything you need," he said.

Jeff gave him a grateful smile,"Thanks, brother."

Rick shrugged, "...And if mama does kill you, Michonne and I will make sure your daughter has a good life," he teased.

Jeff punched his arm and laughed, "You're an asshole..."

"Maybe. But I might finally be mama's favorite," he replied with a laugh.

Jeff snorted, "Like you ain't already."

The front door opened and he heard their mama's footsteps coming around the corner. Her nosiness wasn't going to let her stay in the house forever. Little did she know she was about to get the shock of her life.

"You two ain't fighting out here, are you?" She asked.

Rick approached her a kissed her cheek. "No, mama, but Jeff needs to talk to you," he said before continuing to the door. He paused and looked back at Jeff who was standing there like a deer in headlights as she walked over to him.

"Jeff? Baby, what's wrong?" She questioned.

Rick didn't wait to hear the answer, retreating inside to leave them alone to talk about things. He had a feeling he didn't need to be outside to see the fireworks that were bound to go off when mama found out.

He was almost in the dining room when his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from Morgan saying he was on his way to pick up Carl for a sleep over with Duane. He'd almost forgotten that he and Michonne were supposed to have a date night after leaving his mama's house. They were showing _The Princess Bride_ in the town square and Michonne was so excited to go because it was one of her favorite movies. Their picnic basket and blanket were in the back of the car and a bottle of wine was chilling in the refrigerator.

He wasn't going to let Jeff's secret mess up his date night. Sometimes he worried that he and Michonne had become too domestic too quickly. While he enjoyed their quiet evenings at home and going to Carl's games, she deserved to be taken out on real dates.

He finally found the two loves of his life engaged in a fierce battle of I Declare War.

"...War! I win!" Carl shouted.

Michonne's mouth fell open. "You so cheated!" She accused.

Carl started giggling. "I won fair and square so now you have to pay up," he ordered.

She frowned and snatched her purse off the floor. "Fine," she conceded, reaching into her purse and pulling out a Big Cat candy bar. "Here, you little hustler."

Carl's impossibly wide grin grew even wider as he grabbed the candy bar from her hand. "Yes!"

Even though he loved watching his son and Michonne interact, he chose that moment to interrupt their fun. "Carl, go get your stuff. Morgan will be here any minute to pick you up," he said.

"Ok, dad," Carl exclaimed, jumping up to get his his things. "We can share it if you want, Michonne."

She shook her head, "No, I'm still stuffed from dinner. You keep it. Besides, you won it fair and square," she smiled, putting away the playing cards.

Carl nodded and ran to grab his backpack and Michonne walked over to Rick and draped her arms around his neck.

His hands drifted to her hips and he tugged her a little closer.

"I told you you're his favorite. He'd never share a Big Cat bar with me," he stated.

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever...everything go ok out there?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I think Jeff has grown up a little bit. He's moving home," he revealed.

She wrinkled her eyebrows, "Really? I bet Loretta is gonna love having him here..."

"She is…but there's a catch," he warned.

Michonne asked, "What kind of catch?"

"Well…," he began and almost as if on cue, his mother's voice rang throughout the house.

"JEFFREY DAVID GRIMES! YOU BETTER GET OVER TO THAT FARM AND GET MY GRANDDAUGHTER RIGHT NOW!" She yelled.

That was quickly followed by Jeff yelling, "OW, OW! SHIT MAMA!"

His yelling seemed to infuriate her even more and she shouted, "GO BEFORE I GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO OW ABOUT! AND DON'T CURSE IN MY HOUSE!"

Michonne turned her wide eyes to him, "Granddaughter? Jeff has a kid and your mama didn't know about her?"

He nodded and couldn't help but laugh. "Yep."

Michonne's hand drifted up to cover her mouth in shock and whispered, "Oh sh…ugar!"

 **XXX**

When they stumbled through his front door wrapped all over each other, all Rick could think about was how happy he was that he hadn't let Jeff's surprise ruin their date night. He'd promised his mother that they'd come over in the morning with Carl to meet Savannah and Loretta hadn't argued; she was way too preoccupied with yelling at Jeff to go get the baby until she'd finally demanded to ride over to the farm with him. Meeting his niece was going to be a big deal, but he owed his girl a date and that took precedence.

As soon as Morgan left with Carl, he'd grabbed the bottle of wine and they'd made their way to the town square. He couldn't think of a better way to spend the evening than laying on a blanket in the town square with the woman he loved, drinking wine, and sharing a surprise giant slice of Carol's chocolate cake.

It seemed like the whole town was out there, but they found a good spot under a tree near the back of the square. They were kind of secluded, but the view was still good and the smile on Michonne's face was one of the biggest he'd seen in the month since she'd returned from Florida. It made him feel like he'd conquered the world.

The thing that made the night even more perfect, was when they gave up all pretense of watching the movie and started pushing the limits of public decency by making out like a couple of teenagers. Their little spot gave them a little more privacy than he'd expected, and even though he knew they shouldn't, he'd pulled her into his lap and started kissing her anyway.

Her body was warm from the temperature and the wine, her skin was damp from the humidity making her thin dress stick to her perfect curves, and the chocolate cake made her taste even more decadent than she usually did. He was on second base and inching toward third when an on-duty Shane tapped him with his nightstick and joked, "as your boy, I'd love to let you keep going but as a deputy, I gotta tell you to cool it."

Luckily, the movie was almost over so they'd quickly and sheepishly packed up their things and made their way to the car with Michonne's musical giggle as their soundtrack. Still, his cheeks burned for the entire ride home from the utter embarrassment that it was Shane of all people who had been the one to catch them. He'd never hear the end of it.

He'd noticed that she was just a little bit tipsy on the ride home. Her face was flushed, her dark eyes seemed even darker and wider, and a perfectly contented smile played on her lips as she leaned her head against the headrest and gazed over at him. Also, her hand kept drifting over to his thigh as he drove; her fingertips pressing into his leg making it difficult for him to focus on the road and not her dress riding up higher on her thighs.

They walked up to the house and after he opened the door, he stepped aside to let her walk in ahead of him and she'd encouraged him to pick up where they left off by pressing her body flush against his, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Their mouths were glued to one another and he'd worked his hands under her dress to grab handfuls of her extremely distracting ass. Her arms were already thrown around his neck and her toes dragged the floor when she slightly lifted her off the ground. She surprised him by tangling her legs around his waist and he stumbled back against the back of the sofa and sent it sliding across the floor.

He caught his balance, and Michonne, before they ended up on the floor too and she broke their kiss to laugh into the side of his neck.

"Sorry…are you ok?" She asked, her warm breath on his neck making his hair stand on end. He was already so hot and bothered that it didn't take much.

"Yeah…," he nodded; securing his hold on her and carrying her back toward his bedroom. She busied herself with licking and nipping at his neck and chin and by the time he gently deposited her in the middle of his bed, he was overheated.

She regarded him hungrily as he reached around to tug his t-shirt off from the back and he'd barely freed himself from it when her palms flattened against her abdomen. He looked down to see her dress bunched up around her waist as a result of her sliding forward to kick off her sandals and unbuckle his belt.

"What's gotten into you?" He asked; his grin getting wider as her fingers moved on from his belt to the button and zipper of his jeans.

She rolled her eyes up to him and giggled, "Nothing yet," before pushing his pants off his hips and sending them crashing to the floor.

He laughed as he stepped out of his pants and shoes. If he hadn't already known what she wanted, that would've told him in no uncertain terms.

"You're a temptress when you're tipsy, huh?" he quipped.

"I just think we should take advantage of having the house to ourselves," she whispered oh so seductively and that reasoning was good enough for him. They'd held back the last few times they were together for fear of altering Carl to their activities but that wasn't a worry right then and she was absolutely right about not wasting that.

He was on top of her in an instant; working his mouth against hers in a deep, wet kiss. His fingers made quick work of the buttons running down the front of her dress, revealing a lacy, barely there, citrine bra and panty set that perfectly complemented her dark skin.

"You know I love you in yellow," he whispered; his fingertips grazing her rib cage and the underside of her breasts making her inhale sharply between her teeth.

"I wore it just for you," she replied.

"It's pretty. I almost hate to take it off you," he said, undoing the front clasp of the bra and releasing her breasts into his eager palms. "These are prettier though…" She really did have the most beautiful breasts; they were round, firm, and he loved their weighty fullness as he massaged them in his hands. He dragged his thumbs over her hardened nipples before lowering his head to give each the individual attention they deserved from his tongue.

His fingers slid down her sides to gently tug her panties off her hips and down her strong and silky legs. She was completely bared to him and it was in moments like this that he wondered what he'd done to deserve her. She was a goddess and everything about her demanded worship.

He began the demonstration of his devotion by pressing his lips to the curve of her hip and blazing a trail of wet kisses across her lower belly on his way to his ultimate goal. She'd told him on multiple occasions that he was blessed with a magical tongue and when he moved lower to get a taste of the warm honey between her thighs, her fingers twisted in his hair and a delicious moan spilled from her lips.

He rolled his eyes up and her head was thrown back against the pillows as her body arched off the bed. Seeing her like that, and hearing her softs mewls of pleasure, turned him on endlessly and he was already achingly hard. He wasn't even close to being done savoring her though, so he focused his attentions on giving her pleasure. He spread her legs even wider to accommodate the addition of his fingers thrusting inside of her as his tongue continued its assault on that tiny bundle of nerves responsible for making her writhe beneath him until her body stiffened and her thighs squeezed around his head like a vice.

"Rick…oh my god…I…" The rest was lost in a high pitch squeal as she came apart around him. After the few long seconds it took for her to come down from her high, her legs fell open and he crawled up her heated body, kissing his way back to her lips so she could taste herself on his. Her skin glistened with sweat and she was looking at him through heavily lidded eyes as she visibly struggled to catch her breath. He was responsible for that wanton glaze in her heavily lidded eyes and he couldn't hide the cocky grin stretching across his face.

"Cocky much?" She asked in a breathy giggle.

"I think I have a right to be," he answered, his grin growing impossibly wider.

She pushed his damp hair back away from his face and said, "I think I'm gonna need more proof," with her voice taking on that deep seductive tenor that could probably make him lose it without her even touching him. Her hands drifted over his shoulders and slowly down his back before slipping into his underwear to squeeze what she jokingly referred to as his "pert little ass", before she tugged them over his hips and released his straining erection.

He helped her get him completely naked; his eyes clenched shut when her elegant fingers wrapped around his throbbing cock and and spurred him to thrust his hips forward into her hand. With her free hand on the back of his head to guide him back to her, she blessed him with a luxurious kiss.

With every sweep of her tongue against his, every thrust of his hips into her hand, and every brush of their slick bodies, he edged closer to losing all coherent thought. Not wanting to lose contact with her for a second, but also knowing he needed to be inside of her, he reached to pull a condom from the nightstand but just as he touched the edge of that foil packet, she grabbed his hand and pulled it back.

"You don't need it," she said before capturing his lips with hers again.

His eyes flew open as her meaning settled in and he reluctantly tore his mouth away from hers, "No?" He asked.

She shook her head, "When I went for my appointment, I told my doctor I wanted to go back on the pill. It's effective after seven days and today…" she brought her lips mere millimeters away from his and whispered, "…is day nine," she grinned, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth and sending him into cardiac arrest.

He cupped her face in his hands and poured everything he had into that kiss; barely noticing that her hand was no longer holding him. When he did notice, he slowly began to grind his hardened length against her bud; rolling his hips as she raised hers in to meet his in response. She was so wet for him and he absolutely loved it.

He'd barely gotten started and he already felt close to bursting. His arousal was almost painful and when she wrapped one leg around him and grabbed a firm hold of his ass again, he gave up.

He positioned his cock at her entrance but paused to plant a series of wet kisses along her graceful neck. She hissed as he pushed his way inside; stretching and filling her completely like he was made just for her. He was going slower than usual, his breath coming in short pants with every slight push. She was so hot and wet that it felt like he was melting and when he was finally seated all the way inside of her she unleashed a gorgeously sexy moan that almost sent him over the edge.

"God...you feel so good," she breathed, "so damn good."

Her eyes fluttered closed and her body trembled as she waited for him to start moving again and when he did, he set a luxurious pace. His thrusts were deep and slow, and her soft whimpers let him know she felt every ridge...every inch of him inside of her.

"Fuuuck…baby," he sighed, resting his damp forehead against hers as he took a moment to collect himself before kissing her again to the rhythm of his hips; his tongue driving against hers in that same torturous tempo.

Guiding her leg up over his shoulder gave him the leverage to hit her deepest spots and soon their already slick bodies were sliding against each other without any resistance. Her nails dug into his back urging him to push her even further so he did by pulling almost all the way out before slamming back in to the hilt.

It was becoming a nearly impossible struggle not to let himself drown inside of her, but he wanted her to go with him so he held on until he felt that familiar sensation of her inner walls contracting around him.

"Look at me, beautiful," He commanded and she struggled to keep her eyes open, but she did it. "I love you," he whispered; and he loved her so much that 'I love you' didn't sound sufficient enough for what he felt for her.

He saw the love burning in her eyes and a faint smile crossed her lips, "I-I love you too," she said, just as he buried himself inside of her with another powerful thrust that proved to be their undoing. Her screams echoed through the house as she came apart around him in multiple waves of unyielding satisfaction.

It didn't take long for the pressure of her release, plus a few more shallow thrusts, to send him careening into the abyss with her. Within seconds, his groans matched hers, and his body shook uncontrollably as he emptied himself inside of her for the very first time.

He collapsed at her side and gathered her trembling body into his arms so she was was lying on top of him. She buried her face in the side of his neck and her fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his neck.

breathy laughter filled the newly silent room.

He felt her lips on his jawline and she sighed, "Wow…" and it made him feel like a conquerer all over again.

"Yeah…was that enough proof for you?" He said; still trying to catch his breath.

Her lips found their way to his ear and she pulled his earlobe between her teeth. "Hmmm…I think I'm gonna need more…," she whispered.

He smiled to himself and kissed her forehead.

"As you wish," he replied; thinking of all the ways he was going to give her exactly what she asked for.

 **XXX**

Their lovemaking stretched throughout the night and well into the morning and took detours from the bedroom, into the shower, onto the kitchen countertop, back to the bedroom and finally into the shower again. The only thing that brought it to a close was the fact that they had to go pick up Carl and go meet Jeff's daughter.

He sat on the edge of the bed watching as she glided around the bedroom gathering her things. Another two days had blown by all too quickly and his heart was filled with sadness over having to watch her pull out of his driveway headed back to Atlanta.

"Don't look at me like that," she said.

"Like what?"

A smirk sped across her lovely face, "You know what I'm talking about. You poke your bottom lip out and your eyes go all squinty. I told you, I have to get back," she said.

She'd told him all about the Sunday dinner she'd committed to with Maggie and Glenn and he understood her not wanting to upset a pregnant lady. He'd taken almost every free weekend minute of hers over the last few weeks and he didn't want to be known as the guy who took her away from her friends.

Unable to fake enthusiasm for her leaving, he just muttered, "I know."

"You could still come with me…," she suggested and he appreciated the offer but he shook his head.

"I'd love to but I've got an early day tomorrow," he said. She nodded and zipped her bag, but as she turned away, he grabbed her hand. "It's not enough anymore," he whispered.

Her eyebrows wrinkled and her head cocked to the side, "What isn't?" She asked.

He exhaled deeply and nervously started playing with her fingertips. "Weekends…," he shrugged, "…hell, it's not even a whole weekend we get together. It's more like 36 hours and they're not enough anymore. If I'm being honest, they never were." Sometime over the last two months, she had become like air to him and it was harder to breathe when she wasn't around.

She sat next to him on the bed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know. I can try to come down during the week," she offered, pulling his hand into her lap and intertwining her fingers with his.

He squeezed her hand; knowing hers was the obvious answer, but the last thing he wanted was Michonne driving all over Georgia late at night. If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself.

He shook his head, "I was hoping for a more permanent solution".

"What are you thinking?" She asked; the slight hitch in her voice betraying either her curiosity or her dread over what he was about to say.

Deciding to ease her into it a little bit, he stated, "Before I met you, I was thinking about moving to Atlanta. Carl is there and I want to be as involved with his life as I can. Being in King County makes that hard. I talked to the Sheriff about transferring right after Lori moved, but he said I should take some time before I made any big decisions and to talk to him again in six months. If I still wanted to transfer, he'd do everything he could to help. Well...my six months are up."

There was silence as she processed his admission before asking, "How do you feel about it now?"

"King County is home," he replied, "My mama is here, my friends…now my brother and my niece. There's a good chance I could be the Sheriff in a few years, and I like the thought of Carl being able to have this small town life when he's with me."

"I get that," she agreed with a nod against his shoulder.

He squeezed her hand tighter. "But…I still have all of the same reasons for wanting to be in Atlanta. Plus, I have you to think about now and I want to be with you as much as I possibly can,"

She returned the pressure on his hand and said, "I get all that too."

"So…I've been thinking about it for the last few weeks and the thought of being away from both you and Carl when the summer is over made the decision for me," he admitted, "I think it would be best for all of us if I move to Atlanta."

She sat up and he was met with her dark eyes swirling with excitement and hesitation. "Are you sure?" She asked.

He brought her hand to his lips and nodded, "I want Carl to enjoy the summer in King County without dropping more changes on him, so at the end of the summer I'm gonna look into relocating. I'll have to apply for a new position because there aren't any direct transfers, but I'll find something,"

"Yeah?"

While she sounded ok with the idea of him moving to her city, there was still something tentative about her reaction. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head. He didn't question her love for him in the least, but he did wonder if he was pushing her too far too fast.

"Yeah…I'd get a place of my own of course, but if I'm closer, we'd be able to see each other more. H-how do you feel about that?"

A slow smile spread across her face. "I feel like the end of the summer can't come fast enough," she said, "…and I feel like we should wait on making any decisions about living arrangements."

For a second, he wasn't sure if he'd heard her correctly. Here he was worried about moving things too fast and she's thinking about the two of them living together. She would never stop surprising him and he didn't want her to.

He cleared his throat and asked, "Are you…are you saying you might want me to come live with you?"

"I mean…Carl would be able to have his own room…on the opposite side of the house from ours…," she shrugged; her smile turning into a full blown grin. "But I'd have to consult with T'Challa first of course."

She was underneath him on the bed with his mouth covering hers before the idea had a chance to really settle; his happiness pouring out of him as he worshipped her with a searing kiss.

"I love you," he whispered, and she gave him a smile that could've lit up all of King County.

"I love you too," she confirmed, before kissing him again; her sweet lips making making it hard to think.

He was unceremoniously brought back to reality when her eyes flew open like she'd been shocked and she shoved at his chest.

"Loretta is going to hate me now," she gasped.

He blinked a few times before breaking into a wide grin.

"Nah, I think she's expecting it. She'll be ok…especially with Jeff and Savannah here now," he reasoned.

"If you say so…," she said but she didn't look convinced.

"Besides, Shane's the one you should be worried about. He's already threatened to come with me," he added.

She rolled her eyes and twisted her lips, "If that's the case, we may have to rethink this whole thing," she declared; her teasing eyes shining bright, "I don't know about that kind of baggage..;."

"Oh, you ain't changing your mind on me now," He laughed, and started to tickle her mercilessly until she was screaming with laughter and begging him to stop and he did. "So…we're still doing this thing, right?"

She threw her arms around his neck and nodded, "Yeah, we are…come Shane or high-water," she said.

All he could do was smile as his mind raced with the implications of the decisions they'd both made. Moving to Atlanta and living together was another step toward them building a real life together and that was quickly becoming the thing he wanted more than anything.

 **XXX**

 _A/N: It's another long one but I hope you all liked it. Let me know what you think! I love reading all of your reviews so much! Thank you for all of the follows, faves, and reviews. I'm going to focus on Love Tumbles Down for a little while, but I promise it won't be too long before I'm back on this one._

 _Thanks for reading!_


	12. Summertime Magic

**Chapter 12 - Summertime Magic**

 _Summertime Magic - Childish Gambino_

* * *

"GO CARL!"

Michonne's voice rang out across the field and made the smile on Rick's face stretch even wider. After sliding onto third base, Carl briefly grinned over at him before giving all of his attention to the bleachers where Michonne and Jeff were still on their feet cheering. Carl waved wildly in their direction for just a moment before refocusing on the game as the next hitter approached the plate.

Rick looked back to Michonne, who was chatting in her animated way with his brother as they waited for the next pitch. She'd just gotten in from Atlanta that morning, only a few minutes before they had to leave for the field. Carl had been worried that she wasn't going to make it in time, and the way his face lit up when her car pulled into the driveway, made Rick's heart so full. They were his whole world and seeing how much they already loved each other, was almost too perfect.

When she threw her head back and laughed at something Jeff said, he was sure his brother was telling tales out of school. Putting aside the fact that he was going to have to clean up whatever lies about him Jeff was perpetuating, he tried to focus on the fact that she'd charmed yet another member of his family. It was a good thing too because he was pretty sure that Michonne was it for him.

That knowledge was causing the nerves he already felt at finally meeting her family, bubble up into a frenzy. They were leaving right after the game for their Triple R vacation.

Carl had given it that name, and it stood for Rollercoasters and Relaxation Road trip. They were driving to Orlando to spend a few days at Universal Studios before heading down to Miami to spend a few days at the beach with her family before flying back. It was that second part that had him on edge for the last few weeks.

Michonne kept assuring him that her family was going to love him and that by the end of the week, he and her dad would be going fishing and swapping some tall tales about their past fishing trips. He acknowledged that she was probably right, but it didn't make the pit in his stomach go away. He wanted her family to like him more than he'd ever wanted anything, but he was fully aware of how parents could be when it came to their daughters; especially after what went down with the last guy she brought home to her family.

Add in the fact that they were planning on moving in together after knowing each other less than six months, he expected no less than a full on inquisition. They hadn't even told Carl about their plans yet, not to mention his own mama, but he had a feeling it was a topic he was going to have to broach with her family…her father more specifically. He wanted to show her dad that his intentions with Michonne were good; that she was worth moving his whole life for. If that wasn't enough, he did have something else he could share, but that was something he was still in the thinking stages of and he'd rather keep it to himself for as long as possible.

The kid batting struck a low grounder that sent Carl sliding into home. Everyone was cheering loudly including Rick, but he heard Michonne's voice above them all. That's how in tune with her he was, and as Carl returned to the dugout with his teammates, Rick turned to steal another look at the woman he loved. Just as he turned his head, something else entirely caught his eye and faded his smile.

Lori; the reason his mama had decided to stay home with Savannah instead of coming to Carl's game. She'd insisted on seeing Carl before the Florida trip, and there she was. She'd already attracted a crowd of team moms, eager to greet their prodigal sister. He could practically hear them gushing about her pregnancy and whispering about his new girlfriend sitting in the bleachers.

Michonne was still laughing with Jeff, oblivious to Lori's arrival, and as the latest batter struck out to end the game, and Rick braced himself for the moment his past and his future would finally collide.

"Mom!" Carl darted off the field toward his mother and Rick took a deep breath before following. All he had to do was be civil and not let her get under his skin, but getting under his skin had always been one of her greatest talents.

"Hey, baby!" A wide smile appeared on his ex-wife's face as she wrapped her arms around their son.

"Did you see me score?" Carl asked.

Lori nodded and ruffled her son's hair.

"I sure did, superstar," she replied; with a huge grin that faded when she turned her gaze to Rick. "Hey, Rick."

He nodded and reminded himself to be nice.

"Hey. Glad you were able to make it."

"I had to see my boy before you take him on this little trip of yours," she said.

He had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at her derisive tone. Luckily, Carl interrupted them before he could say anything.

"Guess what, mom? I convinced Dad to take me to the Kennedy Space Center!"

Rick loved seeing Carl so excited. This trip was all he'd talked about for weeks. During the route planning sessions, Universal Studios and the Kennedy Space Center were the two things all three of them agreed on, besides spending a few days lounging on the beach. Carl was still in his astronaut phase, and a trip to the space center was definitely going to blow his mind.

"Wow, that's great! Your dad is going all out, isn't he?" Lori asked; her excitement level a little too high.

"Yeah," Carl confirmed; his head bobbing up and down. "…and then we're going to stay at Michonne's parent's house right on the beach, and we get to fly home! It's gonna be so fun!"

Lori's wore a thin smile for Carl's benefit, and her feigned enthusiasm may've been able to fool him, but it didn't fool Rick. He bit the inside of his cheek and waited for the other shoe to drop. He didn't have to wait long.

"It sounds like it," she said. "Carl, sweetie, I left something for you in my car. It's in the bag on the backseat."

She held out the keys and their son took them with a wide, crooked grin before running off toward the parking lot. Lori waited until he was out of earshot before she turned back to Rick, and that sour look he'd come to know so well during the end of their marriage was back in full force.

"I still can't believe you're doing this," she huffed.

"We already talked about this, Lori."

They'd talked about it multiple times. They'd talked about it so much that he was practically to his breaking point. She'd been fine with their trip to Florida when she thought it was a father and son vacation. Then, she found out Michonne was going with them, and topping it off, they were staying with her family, and she'd been pissy about it ever since.

All he could think was if she was that bent out of shape about his summer trip, she was going to completely blow a gasket when she found out about him moving in with Michonne at the end of the summer.

"Well, excuse me for being worried about you taking my son to stay with strangers in another state!"

He rolled his eyes at her intentionally overdramatic response, trying to keep his promise not to let her get to him.

"They're not…" He paused and shook his head. "You know what? I'm not doing this with you. I agreed that you should meet Michonne because she's going be a part of Carl's life, but you have no say in any of this."

Before she could respond, he saw that Carl was on his way back with a bag in one hand and dragging Michonne along with the other. Her red shorts were barely peeking out from underneath the hem of her long white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows; leaving her long legs on display. He'd never understand how she could be more beautiful every time he saw her, but somehow she was.

Both of his loves were smiling, but when his eyes met Michonne's, she couldn't hide the hint of nervousness he saw in them. She'd agreed that she should meet Carl's mother, but she'd worried about it to the point of distress. She finally admitted it was because she already disliked Lori for hurting him, and she didn't want that animosity to show in their first meeting in front of Carl. He'd kissed her forehead and assured her it would be fine, thinking the whole time that she'd been spending entirely too much time around his mama.

"Carl seems to really like her," said Lori, and Rick nodded; ignoring her slightly bitter tone.

"He does. She adores him too." He felt the burn of Lori's eyes against his face. "I know you have something to say, so you might as well go on and say it."

After a long moment, she huffed, "I don't remember you ever looking at me like that."

"Like what?" He asked; his eyes never leaving the subject of their conversation.

"Like the sun rose and set in me. Maybe that's why we didn't make it, huh?"

She sounded almost wistful and Rick refused to spend any time trying to figure out why. He wanted to say they didn't make it because she decided that sleeping with her boss was more important that the life they'd built together, but he kept that to himself. He was saved from having to say anything at all by Carl and Michonne.

They came to a stop and he immediately reached for her free hand, weaving their fingers together and squeezing tight. She looked up at him briefly, and blessed him with one of those secret smiles she reserved just for him. It was little more than a slight uptick of the corner of her lips, but coupled with the mischievous twinkle in her eye, it always made his breath catch in his throat.

"Mom, this is Michonne. She has a comic book collection like me," Carl said.

Rick chuckled to himself at how excited his son was to introduce his dad's girlfriend to his mother. At ten, he had no concept of awkwardness. He just wanted his mother to meet this awesome person who liked comic books as much as he did, who just happened to be dating his dad.

He stepped in to make the introduction more formal.

"Michonne Pierce, this is Carl's mother, Lori Blake."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Lori," said Michonne.

Rick held his breath as Lori looked her up and down. He prayed that she wasn't going to petty enough to cause a scene in front of their son. He was even more worried when Lori's face lit up with a bright, but obviously fake, smile.

"Same here! It's nice to finally put a face with a name. Carl just goes on and on about you," Lori said; using that voice of hers that dripped southern hospitality.

"He's a great kid."

Lori looked so proud that you would think that compliment was completely for her; like Rick had no part in the reasons why Carl was such a great kid.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Lori responded; sugar still pouring out of both sides of her mouth. "Carl tells me y'all are going to be staying with your family."

"Yes. My parents have a place on the beach. Carl is going to stay in my brother's room which is already decked out with a PS4 and plenty of comic books."

Carl was practically bouncing on his heels and Rick had to laugh.

"You're not gonna stay in that room all day, son. There's a beach out there too," he reminded.

Carl just nodded, and the excitement never left his face.

"I know. Michonne said she'd help me build a Stark Tower sandcastle."

"I said I'd try," Michonne laughed.

"There is no try," Carl teased and Michonne's grin grew even wider.

"Hitting me with a Yoda line, huh? I see you, Carl."

The back and forth that seemed to come so naturally for Carl and Michonne, always amused him, but from the way Lori's eyes had narrowed, the limit of her congeniality was about to be reached. He glanced at his watch and then looked to Michonne.

"We should hit the road if we want to stick to our schedule," he said, before ruffling his son's hair. "Carl, tell your mom bye."

Carl wrapped his arms around his mother and kissed her belly goodbye too; telling his little sister not to come out until he got back.

Lori put a hand on her hip and seemed to dig in for a discussion.

"Hold on a minute, Rick…"

Before she could finish her thought, Jeff jogged up behind her and tapped her shoulder.

"Is that you, Lori?! It's been forever since I laid eyes on you," he greeted; and if anyone was better than Lori at fake southern hospitality, it was Jeff.

Lori brightened and beamed at Jeff.

"Hey, Jeff! Carl told me you were home," she said, sounding sweet as pie.

He wrapped his arms around his former sister in law and rolled his eyes over her shoulder. Ever since Rick had shared the whole story of his divorce over a few beers on his back porch one night, Jeff had firmly joined team "Lori is the Devil" with their mama and Michonne.

Rick laughed under his breath and nudged Michonne and Carl toward the car. He'd owe Jeff one for taking a bullet for the team.

"Bye Lori! I'll make sure Carl calls you when we get to Florida," he called over his shoulder as they took the first steps toward the rental car and their much deserved vacation.

* * *

They arrived in Orlando just after sunset, and Rick was pretty sure he was in the middle of a dream. He'd been referring to their trip as their first "family" vacation to himself for while, but being on the road with Michonne and Carl, proved just how true that was. Their road trip had been filled with greasy food from hole in the wall diners, a whole lot of laughter, and good natured arguing over the radio. Carl had even kept his head out of his Nintendo Switch long enough to have a long discussion with Michonne about the latest Marvel movie they'd gone to see the week before, and all of their theories.

It was everything he'd wanted that road trip to be and he couldn't be any happier. It just made him that much more sure about everything that had been running through his mind lately. Moving to Atlanta so he could be closer to the two people that made his whole life worth living wasn't just the best decision, it was the only decision he could've made.

They checked in to their hotel on Universal Studios property, and he'd been surprised and pleased to discover that Michonne had booked them a suite with a separate bedroom. He loved the way her mind worked, and he'd made sure to show her just how much behind their closed and locked door later that night.

They spent the next three days being dragged around the theme park by one very hyper ten year old. They rode every ride, spent entirely too much time in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, saw shows and parades, and went down some pretty terrifying waterslides.

When they made their way back to the room late Tuesday night, he was carrying Carl who was fast asleep on his shoulder, and Michonne was walking right next to him with her arm looped through his. Even though he was exhausted down to his bones, happiness blossomed deep inside his chest.

After tucking his son into bed, he went into the other room and found Michonne perched on the edge of their bed, rubbing her foot. She looked up at him and the amusement on her face told him everything he needed to know about how tired he looked.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"I used to think Carl was getting too old to carry around. Now I know I'm the one who's too old," he groaned.

She laughed.

"You really didn't have a choice. He was falling asleep in his ice cream."

"Tell me about it," he agreed.

She crossed the room and draped her arms around his neck. Even exhausted, he didn't hesitate in grabbing heaping handfuls of her ass. It was most definitely his favorite thing. The day the'd spend in the water park had been both the best and the worst day of his life. While he'd enjoyed seeing her walk around in the modest, but still sexy as hell, pink one-piece suit she wore, he hated the way every man they passed turned to ogle her in it. The only thing that had kept him from completely losing his mind, had been the fact that she was there with him and she never let him forget that.

She kissed his cheek and he focused on her glowing eyes and wry smile.

"You know what would be really good right now?" She asked, and he shook his head. "A nice, long, hot, bath," she continued.

"Yeah?"

She nodded and her smile grew even wider.

"I also think there's room for two in that spa tub in there."

His hands tightened on her body and he pulled her softness flush against him; letting her feel that every part of him wasn't tired.

"That sounds really good," he agreed; certain that he had a dopey smile plastered across his face.

She kissed him on the tip of his nose before slipping out of his arms and heading toward the bathroom.

"How about I go get the bath started while you get that bottle of wine we picked up yesterday?"

He nodded and said, "You got it, baby."

Ten minutes later, they were relaxing in the tub with the water a few degrees below scalding, and scented with her coconut body wash. She was sitting between his legs; her head resting against his chest. Her eyes were closed and a smile played on her lips as he dragged the washcloth against her soft, supple body. She had one arm draped backwards around his neck, and her fingers tangled themselves in his hair.

"I was just thinking," he mused.

"About?"

"Tomorrow, after we visit the space center, we'll be at your parent's house, so tonight is the last night we can be like this."

The very idea of doing anything remotely sexy in her parent's home sent a shiver racing down his spine. He was determined to do anything he could to make sure her parents liked him after this trip, and getting caught making love to their daughter was not the way to accomplish that.

"True," she agreed.

He started a trail of languid kisses along the curve of her neck and she leaned her head back to give him better access. Her eyes fluttered shut again when his fingers dipped below the bubbles and found her hot and ready for him.

"So even though I'm exhausted," he said, "I'm determined to make this one count."

"You sure you've got enough in the tank?" She asked, and he answered her question by pulling her earlobe between his teeth.

He whispered, "Darlin', when it comes to you, I've got energy to spare."

Her reply to that came in the form of a low, breathy hum as his fingers continued their slow and comprehensive exploration of her. His free hand found its way to one of her breasts, and he loved them almost as much as he loved her ass. They just fit so perfectly in his palms and were always so receptive to his touch. This time was no different; her nipple hardened almost instantly at his touch, and he was rewarded with her sharp intake of breath.

Her hands slipped down to his thighs and he bit his lip when her nails dug into his skin. He could tell she was close. Each passing moment had her unravelling against him a little more and as she writhed against him, his own arousal rushed through him like wildfire. Before he knew it, he was achingly hard and each time she brokenly moaned his name, it made him feel like he was going to erupt.

He put that in the back of his mind because he wanted to focus on her. He loved watching her break apart from pleasure. Right before, she'd squeeze her eyes shut, creating an adorable crinkle between her eyes that made it look like she was concentrating on the sensations traveling through her. When she'd get there, her expression would go completely slack as her body stiffened and her her lips parted in an "O". It would leave her limp and boneless; her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

This time was no different; and as she recovered, he planted kisses along her neck and shoulder until she turned her head and smiled at him with bright, happy eyes. Her beauty never ceased to steal his breath, but like this, with her skin flushed and glowing, she was at her most beautiful and he'd never get over it. He'd never get over anything about her and he hoped he'd never have to. In just a few months, she'd become as essential to him as air. He loved her more than he'd ever thought possible, and that was exactly what he saw reflected back at him in her wide, dark eyes.

He covered her mouth with his and his tongue tangled with hers in a kiss he could only hope expressed everything he was feeling. By the time they climbed out of the tub, the water had gone cold and their fingers were pruny, but it didn't matter as they fell into bed wrapped around each other and spent hours exhausting each other in a multitude of different ways.

* * *

It was late when she used her key to let them into her parents house the next day. They'd spent way too long at the space center, making their arrival much later than planned. She'd texted her mother to let her know not to wait up, but the light in the living room window hinted that she hadn't listened. She should've known that nothing was going to keep her from meeting Rick that night.

Rick and Carl followed her into the living room and as expected, her mom was sitting in the recliner with her feet up, working on a crossword puzzle. She looked well, considering she was in the middle of chemotherapy, and if it wasn't for the colorful scarf tied around her head, there's be no sign of her illness at all. The last time she'd been home, Aline had been so sick from her treatments. She was so elated to see her mother looking well.

Her whole face lit up with a smile when she looked up, and Michonne smiled back just as big.

"Mom, you shouldn't have waited up for us," she began, but Aline cut her off by standing up and waving her hand.

"I took a late nap today so I was wide awake anyway," she explained. "Now give me a hug, baby girl. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she said; doing as she was told and wrapping her her mother in a warm hug. "Where's daddy?"

"He was watching one of those westerns of his on the tv upstairs, but last I checked, the only thing he's watching is the inside of his eyelids."

Michonne giggled, but was a little thankful they didn't have to go through those introductions right then. That was definitely something she was happy to save for after a good night's sleep.

Her mom released her and turned her attention to the guests standing in the archway.

"Now introduce me to your boys," Aline demanded in her firm but still teasing way.

Michonne laughed to herself and motioned for Rick and Carl to join her. This was it. She was about to introduce the man she loved to her mother, but she wasn't nervous about it at all. He was a good man through and through, and her mother would see that right off the bat.

Rick, on the other hand, wasn't quite as secure. He'd been nervous about meeting her family ever since the trip was booked.

She grabbed his hand and wove their fingers together to calm his nerves.

"Mom, this is Rick Grimes and his son, Carl," she introduced.

Rick cleared his throat.

"Hello Mrs. Pierce, ma'am. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said, with a tremor in his voice that Michonne found completely adorable.

Aline grinned before closing the distance between them and pulling him into a hug.

"None of that. You'll call me Aline or else," she commanded; her tone still warm and welcoming. She held him for a few seconds, before pulling back and taking his hands in hers.

"Yes, ma…Aline," he corrected.

Her mother nodded approvingly and have his hands a squeeze.

"I'm happy to finally meet you too. You're even more handsome than you are in your pictures!"

Michonne's smile spread wider as she watched the blush creep up Rick's neck to his face.

"Thank you," he stuttered.

"Oh, my! Loretta was right about how cute you are when you get all pink and flustered," she laughed; letting go of his hands and patting his cheek.

Michonne bit back a giggle as Rick turned even more pink. She'd forgotten to warn him that their mothers had been conspiring over their relationship and just about everything else for weeks. They'd become fast friends over the phone, and Michonne wasn't sure if that was a good thing for her and Rick or a really bad one. There was no telling what kind of schemes those two could come up with when left to their own devices.

Rick recovered, and gave her mother his best half grin.

"What else has my my mama told you?" He asked; his tone light and playful.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Aline teased with an amused wink before turning her attention to Carl, who was already beaming up at her. "And this handsome young man must be Carl."

"Hi, Mrs. Pierce. Thank you for letting me and my dad stay at your house," Carl greeted happily.

Her mother smiled even brighter if that was possible, and Michonne was so happy to see her so close to her old self that it almost brought tears to her eyes. It had been too long since she'd seen her mom smile so much.

Rick must've noticed her getting emotional, because she felt his warm fingers wrap around hers. She met his eyes and they were shining at her with so much love as he silently asked if she was ok.

She squeezed his hand back and nodded as her mother's voice pulled her attention back to her and Carl.

"So polite! You can call me Miss Aline and you both are very welcome here," she replied. "My daughter tells me that you love peanut butter cookies. Is that true?"

Carl's eyes went wide and he answered, "Yes! They're my favorite!"

That was an understatement. The mere promise of peanut butter cookies could get Carl to do almost anything.

Aline laughed, "That's good because I baked a fresh batch this afternoon. You wanna be my taste tester?"

Carl nodded excitedly and that made her mother laugh even more. Right then, Michonne recognized something else about their interaction. She'd known her mom had wanted grandchildren for a while, but the way she was already doting on Carl made that fact even more clear. It was yet another thing for her and Loretta could bond over.

"Well, come on then. One cookie before bed won't hurt you." Aline headed into the kitchen with Carl right on her heels. "Chonne, show Rick up to Noah's room. That's where he and Carl will be staying. I'll bring Carl up in a few."

Michonne nodded, and picked up her bag from where she'd dropped it. Just like Rick had predicted and she had already known, there was absolutely no way her parents were going to let Rick stay in her room. They were cool, but not that cool.

Her kind drifted back to the hours she and Rick had spent all wrapped up in each other the night before. He'd had her close to speaking in tongues during that last round, as she'd braced herself against his chest and rode him into a state of perfect bliss.

Just thinking about their lovemaking was causing a knot to form in her belly, but then she remembered where she was and the knot quickly loosened.

She sighed; resigning herself to the fact that those memories were going to have to last until they got back to Georgia and could make new ones.

"Where's Noah going to stay when he gets here?" She asked in an attempt to pull her mind out of the gutter.

Aline shrugged, "The sofa bed will be just fine for your brother. He doesn't like it, he can drive right on back to his apartment in Miami."

Michonne shook her head and laughed as she headed up the stairs with Rick on her heels.

"Why is that funny?" He asked.

"Because Noah is her baby but he's been displaced by you and Carl. I told you had nothing to worry about."

Rick's heavy sigh floated up from behind her.

"It wasn't your mama I was worried about."

* * *

 _Thank you for being so patient with me and for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it. I do love So Alive and this happy version of Richonne so much._

 _I split this chapter because it was getting too long. Next chapter: Rick finally meets Michonne's dad and gets to see the entire Pierce family in action._


	13. For Once in My Life

_Thank you for your reviews of the last chapter. As always, it means so much. This is a long one. Let me know what you think of it._

 **Chapter 13 - For Once in My Life**

 _Inspired by For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder_

It took Rick a few minutes after waking up to realize that he was completely alone, and that Carl's side of the bed was cool to the touch. He sat up in bed and looked around the midsized bedroom. Early morning sunlight was bleeding through the blinds, illuminating the bookshelf filled with video game cases and graphic novels but there was no Carl.

A part of him was a little concerned over what his son could possibly be doing, but it was outweighed by the certainty of his whereabouts that came with the smell of baking bread wafting in from downstairs. If there was one thing his son loved more than comic books and video games, it was food.

Almost on cue, a chime went off from his phone and he grabbed it from the nightstand.

 **Michonne:** _Breakfast will be ready in 20. Don't bother getting dressed, just come down. And good morning by the way. :)_

Smiling to himself, his fingers flew over the screen.

 **Rick:** _Good Morning, baby. I'll be right there._

He was grinning when he climbed out of bed, and after taking care of things in the bathroom, he made his way downstairs.

Michonne's deep belly laugh greeted him as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and it was followed by more laughter and animated voices. When he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he found Michonne making breakfast, while her mother and Carl watched from one of the barstools at the kitchen island.

At the dinette, sat the man who could only be Michonne's father. He was reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. He hadn't expected to meet Michonne's dad for the first time in his pajamas, and he tugged nervously at the hem of the old Braves t-shirt he liked to sleep in.

"Good morning Rick. Did you sleep well?" Aline asked with a bright smile that reminded him so much of Michonne's.

"Good morning, ma…" She raised an eyebrow and he caught the ma'am before it could slip out. "...Aline. I did sleep well, thank you."

"I see where Carl gets his manners from," she commented approvingly.

"I try my best," he said; ruffling Carl's hair and walking over to plant a kiss on Michonne's cheek. Even being in the presence of her family wasn't going to stop him from greeting his girl with a kiss. "Mornin'."

Michonne looked up from the eggs she was scrambling and blessed him with that smile of hers that made his knees go weak.

"Good morning," she said. "Breakfast will be ready in a minute, and there's coffee on the island."

He nodded, and he thought he saw a smirk on Aline's lips as he made his way over to the coffee pot.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" She exclaimed, turning around to face her husband at the table. "Sam! Come meet Rick."

A corner of the newspaper flipped down revealing a man with a stern countenance, scowling at him over the rim of his glasses.

"He can come on over here and meet me," he grumbled before flipping the paper back up.

"Don't pay that old grouch any mind. Get your coffee first," Aline instructed, while patting his arm. "Cream and sugar are on the table."

He did as he was told; pouring himself a cup of coffee and steeling himself for whatever her father was going to throw at him. He sat in the chair to the right of him.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Good morning Mr. Pierce, sir. I'm Rick Grimes. Thank you for letting me come down here and get to know you and your wife a little bit."

Sam cut his eyes at him and grumbled something that sounded like "good morning" before going back to his paper.

Rick sighed, reminding himself that he didn't have to win Sam Pierce over during one meal, and after adding sugar to his cup, he reached for the creamer.

"Figures," Sam mumbled.

He froze with the creamer bottle in his hand, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Sir?"

Sam shrugged and explained, "I'm just saying, it figures that you would take your coffee sweet and light."

Michonne joined them; frowning and carrying a platter of eggs, and hash browns and a bowl full of sausage gravy.

"Stop it, daddy. Just because you like your coffee muddy and bitter, doesn't mean the rest of us have to drink it that way."

Aline followed her carrying the biscuits he'd smelled baking, but she still had a hand free to snatch the paper from her husband's hands.

"What did you go and do that for?" He asked his wife, who put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Because breakfast is ready, and you are not going to be rude at my table," she said, before she took a seat across from her husband.

Carl delivered the pitcher of orange juice to the table and sat in the chair across from him, while Michonne sat next to him; giving his hand a squeeze under the table as she slipped into her seat.

"Bless the food, Sam."

Still grumbling, Sam did as he was told; blessing the food with the gusto of an old time preacher. Afterwards, they all dug into breakfast.

He noticed that Aline had only served herself a small amount of everything, but was happily eating a slice of buttered toast and sipping on a steaming cup of tea. Remembering how the treatments had killed his father's appetite, he understood. Besides, she seemed perfectly content just to be sitting there with her family.

"When is Noah getting here?" Michonne asked.

Aline answered, "He said he'd be here by noon. We should be back from the hospital by then."

Today was Aline's last treatment in this first round, and Michonne wanted to be there with her. Their trip had been planned around that, and Rick was happy he was able to accommodate her.

If he was going to be left alone with her dad while she went to her mother's appointment with her, he'd better make an attempt to get get to know him.

He squeezed Michonne's knee and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Pierce, Michonne tells me you're a fisherman. I do a little fishing myself."

Sam looked up at him over the rim of his glasses. It was both skeptical and interested; like he wanted to talk about fishing, but he didn't want to be won over so easily.

"What kind of fishing?"

"All kinds. I took Carl up to the Chattahoochee River for some fly fishing last year and we pulled in few nice sized brown trout."

"I caught the biggest one," Carl added.

Sam looked over to Carl with a playful skepticism in his eyes.

"How big was it?"

Carl held his arm straight up over his head.

"It was as long as my arm!"

Aline and Michonne laughed and Rick couldn't believe it but Sam actually chuckled at that too.

Sam leaned over and raised an eyebrow at a still grinning Carl.

"Did you reel that monster in all by yourself?" He asked.

Carl nodded; his mouth too stuffed with food to speak.

Sam sat up straighter and twisted his lips like he was thinking.

"Well then. Maybe I'll have to take you and your father fishing down at the pier while the ladies are at their appointment so you can show me the ropes," he said; turning his piercing stare back to Rick. "If that's ok with you, of course."

He swallowed hard. There was no doubt in his mind that this was going to more than just a fishing trip. This was going to be Sam's full investigation of him; a deep inquiry into if he was worthy of his daughter.

"That sounds good."

Sam continued silently appraising him for a minute, before giving him a single nod and turning his attention back to his food.

"Alright then. We'll leave after breakfast," he said.

Rick caught Michonne's eye and smiling, laced her fingers with his under the table. He had a feeling that he'd just walked into a plan concocted by her and her mother to bring the men together, but it didn't matter. It was what needed to happen. Now, all he had to do was make the most of it.

For the rest of breakfast, Aline nudged the conversation along by asking him the typical questions about his job, his family, how he and Michonne met. He answered them all gamely and even though Sam kept pretending not to pay any attention, he could tell he was tuned into every word.

Carl had already gone upstairs to get dressed, when the front door swung open and a tall young man with Sam's coloring and Aline's wide, dark eyes burst into the house.

"Noah! You're early!"

He dropped his bag by the door and walked over to plant a kiss on Aline's forehead.

"I had a feeling you were gonna make breakfast and I love your breakfast," he said with grin; as he sat in the empty chair and filled his plate.

Michonne waited until he was already eating with a huge smile to say, "Tough luck because I made breakfast today."

Noah's smile faded and he looked back to their mother.

"You mean I got out of bed before 8 in the morning for Mimi's cooking?" He complained.

That caught Rick's attention. Mimi? He'd never heard anyone call her Mimi before, he'd have to file that away for another time. Meanwhile, Sam, Aline, and…Mimi…were frowning at Noah.

"Hush! You know your sister is a good cook," Aline chastised.

Noah rolled his eyes and started pushing his food around the plate with his fork.

"Not as good as you," he mumbled, but Rick even heard the note of teasing in his voice.

Sam stood up from the table and cleared his plate before walking over to where Noah was sitting. He placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a shake.

"If you don't like your sister's food, you can take your mooching butt back to Miami."

"I'm just messing with her, pops," Noah argued.

"Uh huh. We're leaving to go fishing in 30 minutes and you better be ready!"

With that, Sam planted a kiss on the top of Aline's head and left the room.

"What's the matter with him?" Noah asked; but then he looked around the room and locked eyes with Rick. He smirked and continued, "Never mind. It's all perfectly clear."

Aline cleared her throat.

"Noah, this is your sister's friend Rick."

Rick rose from his seat and extended a hand to Noah, who grasped it firmly.

"It's good to meet you."

"You too," Noah said; looking him up and down. "You know, you don't look like a sheriff from Georgia. I was expecting someone older with a little less hair and a little more belly."

Rick shook his head as an image of Jackie Gleason in a sheriff's uniform popped into his head.

"Sorry to disappoint you. I got a few years left before I go full Buford Justice," he joked.

Noah's face crinkled up in confusion.

"Who?"

Rick sighed. He'd forgotten how young Noah was.

"It's the sheriff from Smokey and the Bandit," Michonne offered; an air of superiority in her voice, but that didn't aid Noah's recollection of the character. He pulled out his phone and his fingers tapped against the screen. After a few seconds, his face lit up with a wide smile.

"Oh yeah! That's exactly what I meant!"

"Please!" Aline huffed. "My daughter has better taste than that!"

"Thank you mom," Michonne said, sticking her tongue out at her brother and making Rick smile even harder than he already was.

Aline stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"Besides, if she's gonna bring home a white boy, be better at least be a fine one."

"MOM!"

Michonne looked absolutely mortified, and Noah was stifling a laugh. Aline looked at both of her children with innocent eyes.

"What? You know your man is fine!"

Rick's face heated, and he busied himself with helping clear the dishes from the table. He heard Carl scrambling down the stairs, and was thankful for him. The presence of a child had to get that conversation back on track.

Carl popped into the room, stopping when he saw Noah, and Michonne walked over to introduce them.

"Carl, this is my little brother, Noah."

"Hi Noah."

"Hey, little man."

"Your room is really cool! Can I read your comic books?" Carl asked.

Noah's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"My comic books…are y'all staying my room?" He asked; his tone a mixture of hurt and disbelief.

Aline shrugged. "I put Rick and Carl in your room because it would be more comfortable for them."

"Where am I going to sleep?"

"On the sofa bed," she replied, like it was nothing. To Noah it was definitely something. Michonne was right about him getting bent out of shape.

"Mom…" Noah whined, but Aline wasn't having it.

"Well, there's always the bed in your own apartment in Miami," she suggested, and that made Noah's eyes narrow into thin, little slits.

"All y'all are set on sending me back to Miami today and I'm starting to feel some kind of way about it."

Rick was enjoying the Pierce show so much that he barely realized it when Michonne grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the kitchen to the soundtrack of Aline and Noah arguing and Carl's giggles. They didn't stop until they were up the stairs and behind the closed door of her bedroom, where she wrapped her arms around his waist and a buried her face in his chest.

"I'm really sorry about all that," she mumbled.

He chuckled and held her tight against him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Your family is perfect, Mimi."

She groaned.

"When Noah was little he couldn't say my name so he called me Mimi," she explained. "It would be so, so weird, if you called me that."

"I won't," he promised.

"They aren't always this ridiculous," she began, but he didn't want to waste another second of their time alone so he silenced her with a kiss.

She melted into him, and returned his kiss with the same fervor. He was trapped in a strange dichotomy of needing the kiss to end quickly so it couldn't escalate and wanting it to go on forever. Eventually, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

She sighed; a dreamy smile painted across her lips.

"My mom is right about one thing. My man is fine," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Mmm hmm. So fine," she purred. That sound had his body reacting in a way that no number of cold showers could set right.

He kissed her temple before reluctantly stepping away from her and the temptation she was peddling.

"I'd better get ready to go fishing. I don't want to make your dad wait."

She sighed, "Good idea. This is his way of getting to know you and once he does, he's gonna love you."

"I hope so."

"I know so," she said. "How could he not, knowing how much I love you?"

"I love you too."

She opened the door and he backed out of the room, stopping when he hit something firm. Michonne's face had paled and her wide eyes told him exactly what he'd bumped into.

"Hi…daddy," she whispered.

He spun around and was face to face with Sam, who had his arms folded across his chest and a suspicious glint in his eyes. Those eyes flicked between Rick and Michonne, making his frown grow deeper.

"We're leaving in fifteen minutes," Sam said; and he turned to walk down the stairs without another word.

Rick looked back to Michonne who looked just as deflated as he felt.

"It's ok," she reassured, "Nothing happened."

He nodded, but he continued across the hall into Noah's room to get dressed. He hoped she was right, but he had a sinking feeling that he'd already earned a strike.

* * *

They were about an hour into their fishing trip, and Sam had barely said two complete sentences to him. He was starting to think that winning over Michonne's father was a lost cause. But then, Carl walked with Noah back to the bait shop to get snacks and left the two of them alone together.

This was going to be real test; the conversation fathers liked to have with the men their daughters brought home. He was still readying himself for it when Sam turned to him and kicked things off.

"So you're a cop. Why'd you choose that career for yourself?"

"I wanted to help people, and it's kind of the family business. My father was a cop and so was his father."

"And you're divorced?" Sam asked.

"Yes, sir. We got married too young and it didn't last. Irreconcilable differences," he replied; deciding to leave out the fact that their irreconcilable differences involved their views on monogamy. That was too much detail, but then he worried if Sam thought that getting divorced was a sign of him being unwilling to work at a relationship.

He was just about to clarify things when Sam nodded, seemingly done with that line of questioning. He sighed heavily and turned to face Rick.

"My daughter is really taken with you," he said; and Rick didn't know how to respond to that. It was more a statement of fact than a question. Before he could land on the right thing to say, Sam spoke again. "You seem nice enough, but I brought you out here so we can talk man to man. That's my baby girl you're with, and I need to know what your plans are."

"Sir, I love Michonne…"

"I'm gonna need more than that." He paused for a beat, and fixed him with a hard look. "Has she told you what happened before?"

"Yes, sir."

"Mike said he loved her and Aline and I loved Mike like a son. When we moved down here, knowing that she had him, set our minds at ease about leaving her by herself in Atlanta. When he called me and asked my permission to propose, of course I agreed. Her marrying him was inevitable at that point." Sam stopped talking and stared out across the water. "Then, he did what he did and broke my baby's heart."

Rick snorted, "He was a coward."

Sam nodded. "But he still broke something in her. Now, you're here; mending all those broken parts of her after a few months. Do you understand why I'm skeptical?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"I know it's not right to make you pay for what he did. But I can't help but wonder if I'd been more observant, I could've prevented her from getting hurt."

"Mr. Pierce…"

"I know it's not my fault, but like I said, that's my little girl. I didn't protect her before, but this time, I'm damn sure gonna try."

Rick stood silently, absorbing everything Sam had just said. Mike's actions had not only scarred Michonne, it had scarred her whole family. They'd trusted him with their beloved daughter and he'd betrayed them all. Aline had responded by putting all of her trust in Michonne's choices; loving him because Michonne loved him. He was going to have to earn any trust he got from Sam.

He'd have to let go of the idea that admitting that he'd already been thinking about marrying Michonne, would help his cause at all. Sam had already been burned by that one. All he could do was be honest, and hope that Sam believed him. And if he didn't, he'd just have to keep proving it for however long it took.

"I understand where you're coming from. If I were in your position, I'd be skeptical too," he started. "You should know that aside from my boy, your daughter is everything to me. She's the love of my life. You asked me what my plans are, and I plan to do everything I can to make sure Michonne is happy because her happiness makes me happy. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I do know that I want to be with her for as long as she'll have me, which I hope is forever."

Sam just stared at him, and Rick could see the wheels turning in his mind as he processed everything he'd just said.

He pushed on, "I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm asking you to give me a chance to show you that I mean everything I just said. I know you love your daughter. Let me show you how much I love her too."

He held out his hand and Sam's eyes traveled from his face, down to his hand and back up again before he gripped it tightly.

"Deal," Sam agreed as they shook hands. "But if I catch you coming out of her room again while you're here, deal's off. I know my daughter is gorgeous, but you're gonna have to control yourself under my roof. You hear me?"

Sam was smirking at him, and the look her was giving him over the rim of his glasses wasn't as hard as it had been. If he didn't know any better, he'd almost think Sam was teasing him.

Rick bit the inside of his cheek to stop the smile threatening to break out across his face.

"Yes, sir."

Carl's rapid fire chatter and Noah's laughter alerted him that they were no longer alone, and both of them returned their attention to their fishing poles.

"Michonne doesn't need to know what we talked about. I don't need her and her mother on my back. This is between us," Sam asserted.

Chucking, he agreed, "Of course".

* * *

"Now, Rick, some people think dominoes is just a game of blind luck. I'm not one of those people. There's a strategy to this game, and you are fortunate enough to be in the presence of a supreme strategist!"

Michonne smiled and shook her head; her daddy's grandstanding always entertaining. He'd already won twice, and now he was schooling Rick on the ins and outs of being a dominoes expert.

Her dad had been on his best behavior ever since the fishing trip he, Rick, Noah, and Carl had taken earlier that day. When they'd left, Rick's nerves had him turning red and almost shaking, but when they'd returned later, they'd been laughing. She'd spent most of the afternoon on the beach with Rick, Noah, and Carl while her mother rested, but when her dad fired up the grill to cook his world famous ribs, he'd called Rick over to watch and learn his technique. His secret rub and marinade was still on lockdown, but watching the two of them bond over beer and barbecue had made her extremely happy.

Now they were playing dominoes while she washed the dishes with her mom sitting at the island. Her mom's favorite Motown playlist was streaming through the speakers and she hummed along to the songs she knew by heart.

"Your father is over there talking a bunch of mess!" Aline commented with a shake of her head.

Michonne laughed and nodded.

"Of course he is! It wouldn't be daddy if he wasn't."

"You're right about that," Aline agreed. "Looks like they're getting along."

"Thank goodness! I was worried after daddy's performance during breakfast."

A frown marred Aline's pretty face, and she said, "We had words about that, so he'd better have cleaned up his act…"

Her mother's words were cut off by Carl running into the kitchen.

"Michonne? Noah said there's an ice cream shop down the street that has a milkshake and fries flavor. Can we go?"

"What did your dad say?"

"He said I should ask you. Can we?"

Her mother cleared her throat and Michonne had a pretty good idea why. Rick had just pulled the "go ask your mother" trick, and Aline was going to put that in her pocket to be thrown out when needed. Knowing that, there was no version of Michonne who would deny a kid ice cream.

She replied, "Well, yeah! After I finish the dishes, ok?"

"Cool!" Carl darted back into the living room and let everyone know that he'd gotten her approval for ice cream before rejoining Noah in their game of Mario Kart.

"That little boy is a sweetheart," Aline laughed; her annoyance with Sam forgotten.

"Carl is the best kid. I think I fell in love with him faster than I fell for his dad."

"That's good. You three make a cute little family."

Her cheeks warmed under her mother's discerning stare. It was the second time she'd heard the three of them referred to as a family, but it still made her heart flutter in her chest.

"Do you like him, mom?" She asked. "You haven't said anything…"

During her mom's treatment, they'd talked about so many things but she hadn't gone there. While she knew that her mom accepted him, liking him was a different animal.

Her mother raised an eyebrow, and rested her cheek on her palm.

"Would it matter if I didn't?"

"Of course it would."

Aline clicked her tongue. "Don't lie to me in my own house. You're so in love with that man, you can't even see straight. So I guess it's a good thing that I like him."

She felt the smile spreading across her face. She hadn't realized how much she wanted her mother's approval until that moment.

"Yeah?"

"He's sweet and his mama obviously raised him right. He also looks at you like you hung the moon, and that's all I want for you. You deserve to be cherished, baby girl. I'm glad you opened yourself up to finding that."

"So am I."

"Doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes," Aline added, grinning. "And that bowlegged strut he has? Hmmm...I see why you made peach cobbler for him so fast!"

"Mom!" She gasped; surprised again at how much her mom seemed to approve of Rick's looks. She had to admit that his walk was pretty sexy.

Ignoring her, Aline continued, "That said, I can't imagine it's easy with you in Atlanta and him in King County."

Her mother had always been three steps ahead of her. It was annoying when she was teenager and trying to pull a fast one about where she was actually going when she said she was spending the night with Sasha, now it was just expected.

She kept washing dishes, stalling until she figured out how to dodge that question. They hadn't told anyone their plans for the end of the summer, but that hadn't stopped her from clearing out her second bedroom and buying framed Avengers movie posters for when it became Carl's room.

She must've stalled too long because her mother's mouth dropped open and her eyes were wide and bright.

"Michonne Pierce! You know you ain't ever been able to hide anything from me!"

"Shh...you can't tell daddy! Not yet, anyway."

"If you're about to tell me there's a wedding coming, I make no promises!"

"No, but Rick is moving to Atlanta at the end of the summer," she admitted.

"Really? Will he be residing at your house?" Aline asked; a wide grin spreading across her face.

"Yes," she replied. Her mother clapped her hands together and Michonne could almost see the visions of a wedding and more grandchildren dancing in her head. "Aren't you supposed to be upset about me living in sin or something?"

Aline shrugged.

"You're a grown woman and life is short. You need to do what makes you happy."

"You can't tell Loretta yet either. Rick wants to sit her down and explain it all," she warned.

"I won't say a word, but don't worry about Loretta. She knows how much he loves you, and she's been preparing for something like this."

"You two talk a lot these days, huh?"

"She's a hoot! She calls me every Tuesday morning like clockwork and updates me on you and Rick in between telling me all the gossip going around King County," Aline laughed.

"She's definitely something else."

Michonne shut off the water and folded the dish towel. Carl and Noah had finished their game, and Sam was gloating about beating Rick in another game of dominoes.

"I think they're ready to walk to the ice cream shop," observed Aline.

"Yep," she agreed, and she had to admit that the very thought of a scoop of the homemade Blackout Chocolate Cake ice cream was making her stomach growl. "Do you want us to bring you some ice cream back?"

"No, baby. The treatments make my stomach a little unhappy. I think I'm just going to lay down for a little while."

Michonne paused; the reminder of her mother's illness like an icepick to her heart. It was usually right there at the forefront of her thoughts but seeing her mother so well, even after having her treatment earlier, made it seem like before. Before her locs were gone, before she'd lost weight, before she got tired so quickly, and before cancer.

"I'll stay here and keep you company," she offered.

Aline shook her head.

"No, you go with your boys. I'll be fine here with your cranky father. Just bring him back some butter pecan."

"Mom…"

Aline rose from her seat and placed both hand on her shoulders.

"Mimi. I'm fine. I promise you," she said; the corner of her lips curling in a smile. "I love you, and I'll see you in the morning. Ok?"

"Good night, mom. I love you too."

She watched her mom disappear down the hallway heading for the stairs, and released a heavy sigh. The tests that would let them know if more treatments were necessary were scheduled for the next week, and she knew she'd be counting down the minutes until they had the results in hand.

* * *

Rick was having a hard time falling asleep. Carl was passed out next to him; sprawled across the bed like a starfish. He'd pushed his son's foot from digging into his low back twice already, but it had found its way back again and his kidney was suffering.

He'd also gotten too used to drifting off to sleep all wrapped up in Michonne. They had another month before they moved in together, so he'd have to get over it. Maybe it was a good thing to go through his withdrawals now instead of when he had to go back to work.

He sighed and glanced at his phone. 2am. He climbed out of bed and smiled as he moved Carl over so he was back on his own side. Thinking that he still wasn't going to be able to sleep, he silently crept out of the room. He paused in the hallway outside Michonne's door and debated sneaking in to sleep, but then thought better of it when he glanced at the closed door of her parents room.

He needed some air, so he headed downstairs to sit out on the deck for a little while. He was almost at the door when he noticed a figure sitting at the kitchen island.

He flipped on the light, and sucked in a breath when he realized it was Aline with her head resting in her hands.

"Mrs. Pierce? Are you alright?"

Her head slowly turned his way and she gave him a weak smile.

"We've already talked about this. If you don't call me Aline, I'm gonna retract my approval of you."

He grinned and leaned against the chair next to her, still concerned about what was keeping her up.

"We can't have that," he said.

"No, we cannot," she agreed. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"My son is a wild sleeper and…I don't know. I'm just having a hard time falling asleep."

"You can say it. You can't sleep without Michonne."

He blushed and reluctantly nodded.

"You got me," he admitted a little sheepishly. "Why are you still awake? You should be resting."

She rubbed her forehead and sighed. "The nausea is always worse at night. When I lay down, it feels like the room is spinning and it makes it hard to sleep."

He nodded; remembering how sick the treatments made his father. The only thing that made it better was the ginger tea his mama stocked up on.

"Was there any tea in the basket my mama sent you?"

"That ginger tea ain't nothing but the truth! I was on my way to make a cup when I needed to sit down."

"Where do you keep it? I'll make it for you."

"You don't have to…"

He shrugged. "I want to. It's not like I'm sleeping anyway."

She finally gave in and pointed to a yellow canister near the coffee maker. He grabbed the kettle from the stove, and set about making them both a cup of tea. He felt Aline's eyes following him around the kitchen, but she didn't say anything.

He sweetened both mugs with a hint of honey before handing Aline her cup and sitting in the chair next to her.

She took a tentative sip, but then smiled approvingly.

"I usually use sugar but this is good. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied. "This tea was just about the only thing that helped my dad with the nausea. He'd drink it, and then he'd ask mama to bring him a piece of her lemon pound cake. It was the only thing he wanted to eat so she made sure she always had some for him."

"Good thing all I want is toast with butter. It's just about the only thing Sam can cook without burning."

He laughed, "Yeah, that is a good thing."

"Tell me the truth, did you and Michonne pick this this week to to come down so she could be here for my treatment today?"

"It…it wasn't the only reason. She wanted to be here for the last treatment since she missed the first."

She sighed. "It might not be the last. We have to wait and see what the tests say."

"She knows that. She's choosing to be optimistic,"

"She always acts so strong, but I know this has to affecting her. How is she really?"

"She's worried about you, and it shows sometimes, but she's so positive about everything. She tells everyone that her mom is a fighter and is going to kick cancer's ass. She signed her whole office up for the charity walk in downtown Atlanta coming up in October and she's got them organizing fundraisers and everything…"

He paused when he realized that he was gushing, but he didn't know any other way to talk about Michonne. She was like all of the superheroes Carl liked to read about rolled into one, spectacular human being. She was everything.

He dragged his hand down his face and laughed to himself. God, he was such a lost cause and from the wide smile on Aline's face, she knew it too.

"She's amazing," he finally finished, and that word barely scratched the surface of what he thought of her.

"Thank you, Rick."

"For what?"

She covered his hand with his and he looked up to see her eyes glistening with tears.

"For being there for my baby; for loving her the way you do. The Lord knew she was going to need someone and He sent her you, and I am so thankful."

"Aline…"

"Listen to me. I'm going to be that fighter my daughter knows I am, but you know better than anyone how this whole thing could end. Knowing that she has you, Carl, and Loretta, gives me one less thing to worry about."

He squeezed her hand and swallowed the emotions threatening to choke him.

"She does have us, and we're gonna be there no matter what," he began, "And when you beat this, we're all gonna celebrate with you."

She twisted her lips into a grin and squeezed his hand back.

"You know, weddings are excellent places to celebrate. Didn't you two meet at a wedding?"

"Our first date was at a wedding,"

"See? You could bring this thing full circle."

His face got hot, so he was sure he'd turned that shade of pink his mama had told Aline about. He rubbed the back of his neck and struggled to find the right words.

Her light laughter interrupted his train of thought.

"Breathe, Rick. I told your mama I would echo her request, even though I'm far less concerned about the order of things than she is. I'm just teasing you…sort of."

"Sort of?"

"What kind of mother would I be if I didn't encourage you to go ahead and pull that trigger instead of just playing house?"

He narrowed his eyes, trying to decide if she was fishing for information or if she really knew they were planning on living together. The corner of her lips were turned up in a grin, and somehow he just knew which one it was.

"She told you!"

"My daughter has never been able to keep anything from me," she boasted with a wink. "Who's idea was it?"

"I'm the one who decided to move to Atlanta to be closer to her and Carl. It was her idea for us to live together."

She nodded like she'd already known the answer.

"You're good for her. She follows her heart with you instead of just doing what she thinks she's supposed to do. Everything with Mike was planned; like they were following a map. I hate what he did to her, but it was for the best. He never made her as happy as you do."

"We make each other happy."

Aline smirked and took another sip of her tea.

"Loretta told me that she and your dad only dated about two months before they got married. Sam and me only dated for six. When you know, you know. How long have you and Michonne been together?"

"Three months."

"Y'all are right on track," she laughed, and the joy in her eyes made him join in with her. Their mamas had joined forces to get him and Michonne married off, and neither of them were going to stop until they walked down the aisle.

They were still laughing when Sam walked into the kitchen, and he stopped in the archway with his hands on his hips. His eyes shot from Aline to Rick and back again.

"What's going on?" He asked; a deep frown etched into his features.

"I couldn't sleep and Rick was kind enough to make me a cup of the tea his mama sent me."

His expression went soft as his wife claimed his full attention.

"Are you ok, honey?"

She dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand.

"You know I feel seasick after my treatments, but I think that tea is already working. Can you help me up the stairs, dear? I think I can lay down now."

Sam rushed to wrap his arm around her waist.

"Thank you for the tea, and the company. Good night, Rick."

"Sleep well, Aline."

"By the way, I think you and Michonne should go out on a date tomorrow night. Noah and Carl can go to that movie he was talking about."

"That's not…"

"It wasn't a question. I'll talk to Noah and Michonne in the morning."

"C'mon, honey. Let's get you back to bed," Sam interrupted; gently guiding his wife toward the stairs. "You can go back to meddling in their business after the sun comes up."

"I'm not meddling," she argued, but Sam just shook his head and kept moving her along.

"Mmm hmm," he mumbled, before glancing over his shoulder to Rick. "Thank you for keeping her company. Good night."

Rick watched as the two over them argued in hushed whispered all the way up the stairs to their bedroom. They reminded him of his mom and dad; together so long that they irritated the hell out of each other but still loved each other something fierce. They were the loves of each other's lives, and know that he'd found his, he was looking forward to ending up just like them.

* * *

Michonne put her hands on her hips and watched Rick chase Carl through the sand. It was their last true vacation day and they'd wanted to spend as much of it as possible on the beach, so they'd gotten up early and staked their claim on the sand before it got too hot.

They'd spent most of the morning playing in the surf with a few of her and Noah's old boogie boards her parents had kept in the garage. Carl absolutely loved it once he'd gotten the hang of it, and the three of them rode the small waves together, laughing and splashing each other the whole time.

Afterwards, she'd set about helping Carl build his Stark Tower sandcastle, but it ended up looking more like the leaning tower of Pisa than anything from the Marvel movies.

Every now and then, she'd notice one or both of her parents watching them from the chairs on the deck. Her mom was in one of her big straw hats, and smiling at their antics.

That was what distracted her enough for Rick to scoop her up and run into the water with her. That ignited a fierce game of tag that ended with her yelping as Rick grabbed her around the waist and spun her around as her giggles filled their air.

Noah had joined them around mid morning, taking his opportunity to get to know Rick a little better as she helped Carl look for seashells for his back to school, what I did on my summer vacation project. Every time she glanced over their way, Rick and Noah were laughing as they tossed a football back and forth. She had to remind herself not to stare at the way Rick's patterned board shorts rode low on his slim hips, revealing the V of his lower abdomen. It was too distracting; especially since they still had a full day before they could do anything about it. His body made dirty thoughts race through her mind and made her skin flush from more than just the Florida sun.

It had been such a good day, and she was beginning to feel a little sad about their vacation ending. Everything had been so natural with the three of them; their own little family doing all the things families did on vacation and loving every minute of it.

It was finally time for lunch, and she jogged up to the house to grab the sandwiches she'd prepped for them that morning. She was just about to head back out when her mother caught her in the kitchen.

"You and Rick don't need to spend your last night here cooped up with us old people," she declared. "You should go have yourselves a date night. Noah said he'd take Carl to that movie they were talking about."

She recognized the look on her mother's face as the one that was not to be argued with. It was probably the same look she'd given Noah when she'd suggested he take Carl to the movie. Still, she had to try. Even though it would be great, she and Rick didn't need a date night. She'd come home to spend time with her family.

"But mom…"

Aline held up her hand to silence her.

"I already asked Rick and he's onboard."

Michonne sighed.

"We both know you didn't ask him. You told him."

Aline shrugged.

"Either way, he agreed," she said.

Then it dawned on Michonne that Rick had been out with her all morning. When did her mother get a chance to talk to him about them having a date night?

"When did you get a chance talk to Rick anyway?"

"Never mind that. After lunch, you should come in so you both can get cleaned up and ready for your date."

And that was all there was to say about it. Her mom walked out of the kitchen headed for the living room, leaving Michonne standing with her father. He'd been sitting there listening to them the whole time, but keeping quiet because he knew his wife better than anyone.

"Why do you even try arguing with her? You know how your mother is," he teased.

"I don't know. You'd think I would've learned my lesson after 35 years."

"Yep," he agreed. There was a short pause before he spoke again. "So. I got to know the man you brought home a little bit."

"So…what do you think?"

"He's alright, I guess."

She folded her arms over he chest and raised an eyebrow at her dad. While she hadn't expected a glowing approval or Rick from him, she'd expected more than "alright".

She echoed, "Alright you guess?"

Sam nodded and met her skeptical look with one of his own.

"No man is good enough for you baby girl, that one included. Thing is, I think he knows that too and that's a good thing."

"Why?" She asked.

"It means he's gonna try his best not to…" he paused; looking around the room like he thought something or someone was going jump out of a corner. Then, he lowered his voice and continued, "…not to fuck this up."

Michonne bit her lip to stop the laugh from spilling out of her. While her mom didn't really mind cursing except at her table, she hated that word and she had her dad so shook about using it, that he was watching his back in his own home.

"Daddy…"

"That's all I got to say about it. If you're happy, I'm happy for you."

Her father wasn't the type to gush about anyone, so she knew that was probably all she'd get out of him when it came to what he thought about Rick. If he'd hated him, she'd never hear the end of it.

He turned around to go back to what he was doing, but she grabbed him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you, daddy."

His arms tightened around her.

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too," he said. "The sheriff better be good to you. I'd hate to have to come up there and beat his ass."

"He is good to me," she assured.

"That's good, because you know I'd beat the brakes off him."

This time, she couldn't stop the giggle.

"I know, daddy. You most certainly would."

* * *

After cleaning up from their beach day and sending Carl off to the movies with Noah, Michonne ordered a car to take them into the heart of Miami. They ended up at a little restaurant on Calle Ocho that Noah had introduced her to on one of her visits. It was a hole in the wall; with pounding rumba pouring out of the speakers of the patio where they'd found a table. It was a great place to people watch; and they sat there drinking Mojitos, and feasting on roast mojo pork, black beans, rice, and plantains until they both were stuffed and satisfied.

They walked hand in hand through the streets and markets of Little Havana, unabashedly flirting like they were on a first date. He was already so handsome; but scruffy, tanned, and relaxed had become her favorite look on him. His sun kissed skin made his eyes even more striking, especially when he was looking at her like he wanted to completely devour her. That look sent electric shocks pulsing through her body in all the right places and sent her heart racing into overdrive.

She wasn't the only one either. He was completely oblivious to it, but she'd caught more than one woman brazenly checking him out when they thought she wasn't looking. She didn't care though; she just tightened her hold on his arm and let them look all they wanted. He was sexy as hell and all hers.

Even after the sun went down, it was still that sticky kind of hot that made you feel like you were melting. They found refuge in a bar where they ordered more drinks and listened to the live band playing salsa music that you couldn't help but move along to. They slid into a booth, where he pulled her into his side and held her there; occasionally planting kisses behind her ear. One of his hands never strayed too far from her thigh; his bold fingertips occasionally drifting past the hem of her skirt to trace light circles against her skin.

Eventually, she was able to convince him to dance with her, and she pulled him onto the floor where she wrapped herself around him and moved them both along to the beat. His big hands held on to her gyrating hips, pulling her in close enough to his body that she could feel his arousal poking against her belly.

He buried his face in the side of her neck and dragged his lips across her heated skin. His hands slid lower until he was massaging her ass and she moaned against his ear.

"You're gonna get us kicked out of here," she whispered.

"Look around. We're the least indecent couple here," he countered; and she couldn't argue with that. The couples around them were practically making love through their dancing. Women were wrapped around their men like a second skin as they gyrated their hips in time with the beat.

Light nibbles on the curve of her ear brought her attention back to him, and she closed her eyes and gave in to the pleasure coursing through her body.

He whispered, "You're going to make me forget my oath not to make love to you in your parents house."

She giggled and tightened her arms around his neck.

"My daddy likes you. You can't mess that up," she teased.

He groaned and held her tighter against him.

"I know, but Jesus Christ, I want to."

His eyes were dark and full of so much lust that she almost wanted him to forget that oath too.

It was still early when they finally made it back to her parent's house, and instead of letting him escort her to her bedroom door and kiss her good night, she led him out onto the beach. They were both a little buzzed, and they were both laughing as he pulled her into his lap after he fell into one of the beach loungers.

"I can't believe we're flying back home tomorrow. This has been, without a doubt, the best vacation I've had in a long time."

He kissed her temple and sighed contentedly.

"Me too. I kinda wish we could just stay here forever," he agreed, but then added, "…in a hotel far away from your dad."

She laughed again, stretching out next to him and resting her head over his heart.

"Are you ever going to tell me what you talked about?"

"Nope. That's between him and me. He's just being a dad trying to take care of his little girl, and I respect that. If I had a daughter, I'd be the same way."

Maybe it was the fact that she was a little buzzed, or maybe it was because she'd just spent a week in a motherly type role. Either way, even she was a little surprised by the question that spilled from her lips.

"Do you want more kids?"

"Is this one of those real talks?" He asked. Ever since they'd decided to move in together, they'd been talking about the future more in what she'd dubbed "real talks". They were never planned; one of them would just say something that would lead to a real talk. There was only one rule to a real talk; they had to be completely honest about their thoughts and feelings. Real talks were going to lay out the path to their future together.

She nodded into his chest and said, "Yep".

His answer came fast; like he didn't need to think about it at all.

"I would love to have more. What about you?"

"I do," she began; that she was absolutely sure of, but there was more involved for her and the real talk required that she be open about it. "But I'm 35. So it might not be easy. It might not happen at all. Would you be ok if it didn't?"

He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I've already got everything I need with you and Carl. Anything or anyone else would be a bonus."

She looked up at him and saw no trace of disappointment or second thoughts. All she saw in his eyes was love and contentment and it sent her heart soaring. She loved this man; so much that it made her forget that she didn't believe in soul mates because somehow she'd found hers. He was more that what she'd always wanted. He was what she'd always needed and she hadn't even known it until the day his bowlegged strut as her mom called it, carried him into her life.

"What?" He asked; pulling her out of the epiphany she was currently experiencing.

"I love you," she whispered, just before crushing her mouth to his.

It was a kiss that escalated quickly. Before she knew it, he'd dragged her on top of him; his hands slipping under her dress and holding on to her ass to keep her in place. Suddenly, she was rubbing against his hard body like a cat begging for a treat as her tongue swept through his mouth tasting the trace of lime left from their drinks.

They needed to stop; she knew that. They were slightly hidden by the deck above, but they were still out in public. The last thing she needed was one of the neighbors telling her dad that they saw her and Rick going at it like a couple of teenagers or worse, calling the cops. They definitely needed to stop but every time she would grind her soft core against the rock hard bulge in his pants, she'd forget another reason why.

"Awww…I'm gonna tell Pops."

Startled, she practically jumped off of Rick and into the lounger next to him. Her heart was pounding for multiple reasons, and it only relaxed when she saw her brother leaning against the deck railing smirking down at them.

"Noah, don't you have anything else you could be doing?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Look, I didn't come down here expecting to find you two dry humping. You do realize that Pops considers this sliver of beach part of the house, right?"

She glared at him as she finished straightening her clothes, and shifted so that she was blocking the only evidence that dry humping was exactly what they'd been doing.

"I hate you," she spat.

"You love me," he insisted, and then jogged down the stairs and flopped in the chair next to the one she and Rick were sharing. "I'm guessing you had a good time on your date?"

Rick spoke up, "We did. Thanks for taking Carl to the movies. We appreciate it."

Noah shrugged.

"No problem. Little man is real cool. He's out cold now."

Her annoyance lifted slightly at that, as she remembered how Carl was already idolizing Noah like a big brother. Noah was good with him too. It was probably because he was nothing but a giant kid himself.

A mischievous grin appeared on Noah's lips, and he cleared his throat, and nodded at Rick.

"I feel like I need to do my brotherly duty and warn you about treating my sister right, but I have a feeling Pops already did that."

"He did," Rick confirmed.

Noah continued, "So all I'm gonna say is, I haven't seen my sister smile so much in a minute. As long as you keep making her smile like that, we good."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"…And I'm warning you that I got a line of dudes asking for her number so once you step out of line, there ain't gonna be any stepping back in."

She rolled her eyes and dropped her head back against Rick's chest.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not interested in dating any of your boys?" She asked, exasperated.

"You say that now because you got a man. But if your man happened to mess up, he should know that there are other men more than willing to take his place."

She was about to argue, but Rick pressing his fingers into her hip stopped her.

"You're right," he said. "But I know how lucky I am that your sister chose me. Those other guys may be willing to take my place, but they're gonna be waiting a long, long time."

Rick and Noah kept talking but she barely heard the rest of their conversation, as she wondered how was it possible that she was still falling in love with Rick. That answer was more than just the right answer, it was a perfect one in a weekend full of perfect things. She'd thought she was already in as deep as she could go, but he kept pulling her deeper and making her want to never surface.

Too soon, Noah was gone and Rick was leading her into the house and up to her bedroom door. Their flight was leaving early the next morning, and they needed to get some sleep.

He quietly kissed her goodnight as her back pressed against the door; his strong hands cupping her face as his lips slanted against hers. She wanted to giggle because she felt like a teenager being kissed after a date. Even as chaste as it was, it stoked a delicious warmth in her belly and she didn't want it to end.

When the kiss broke, he whispered "goodnight" against her lips and slowly backed away, looking a little remorseful and a lot turned on. She needed to escape that dark gaze before she pulled him into her room with her.

She reached behind her back for the knob, and pushed her door open to scurry inside.

"Good night," she whispered, and as she slowly pushed the door closed she added, "I love you."

He was still watching her just like he did when he dropped her home in Atlanta; waiting for her to be safely inside before doing the same.

"I love you too," he replied, just as her door clicked shut.

* * *

Rick glanced at Michonne in the passenger seat as they headed toward the airport and back to Miami. The sunglasses she was wearing were more for hiding her puffy, red eyes than blocking the sun. There'd been a lot of tears while saying goodbye to her family, and while he'd expected Aline to get emotional, even her father's eyes had glassed over as he'd hugged her goodbye. He'd known they were a close knit family, but seeing them first hand had illustrated their deep connection.

Then, when Aline enveloped him in a hug matching the intensity of the one she'd given her daughter, well, he'd gotten a little choked up himself. The handshake and bro hug he'd gotten from Sam and Noah had been so warm, and from the way all three of them praised and hugged Carl, he was assured that they'd accepted both of them into the nucleus of their little family.

It did make him think a little bit. Was it strange that everything seemed to just be falling into place for them? He didn't know. Maybe this was just how things went when two people who were for each other, finally came together. Maybe when it was right, things came a little easier. The only thing he knew for sure was that after all they'd been through with prior relationships, they each deserved some happiness and they'd found it together.

Keeping one hand on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road, he reached over and squeezed her knee. He was just about to pull his hand away when her fingers wrapped around his.

"We'll come down again soon," he promised. "Actually, we should get them up to Georgia so our mama's can finally meet."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the slow smile spreading across her lips.

"They'd love that. Do you think your mom would want to host Thanksgiving for everyone at her house? I don't think my place is big enough."

He could already picture his mama happily planning every detail of a big, family holiday gathering. It had been just the three of them for a while, and his mama was happiest when she had a lot of people to take care of.

"She'd love it. There's plenty of room for everyone to stay at her house too. I'll talk to her about it when we get back."

"Ok."

She kept holding his hand, and went back to watching the scenery fly by outside the window. He glanced up at Carl playing his game in the rearview mirror, and a thought occurred to him. If there was one thing their vacation had reinforced for him, it was that the three of them were good together. It was time to put their plan in motion.

"Hey, Carl? Can you turn that off for a minute?"

That got the attention of both passengers, and he felt Michonne's eyes on him. He tightened his hold on her knee, and once Carl's eyes met his in the mirror, he cleared his throat.

"We wanted to talk to you about some changes happing at the end of the summer," he began, and Michonne's eyes widened. She'd worried about Carl being upset about the move because he loved his friends in King County, and he wouldn't get to see them every other weekend any more.

He, on the other hand, was pretty sure Carl would be ok with it. They'd still spend a lot of time back home, visiting his mama, Jeff and Savannah; giving Carl plenty of time with Duane and Sophia.

"What changes?" Carl asked.

"Well…I'm moving to Atlanta so I can be closer to you and Michonne."

"What's gonna happen to our house?"

"I'm gonna ask your uncle Jeff if he wants to rent it for him and Savannah."

Carl was quiet as he processed that news, and the longer the silence stretched on, the more Rick wanted to fill it.

"We're going to go visit your grandma and all your friends as much as we can, and I'm sure grandma would love to have you spend time in the summers with her."

"Ok," Carl agreed. "Where we gonna live in Atlanta?"

He was about to answer when Michonne squeezed his hand. She turned back so she could be face to face with Carl.

"I was hoping the two of you would want to move in with me. I have an extra bedroom that would be perfect for you."

"Cool!"

"So you're ok with it?" Rick asked.

Carl nodded, and answered, "Michonne's house is really cool, and I really like T'Challa."

Michonne's face was transformed by a brilliant smile, and the nugget of worry Rick had about telling Carl their plan completely vanished.

Carl continued, "I'm glad you'll be closer too, dad. We can all see each other more."

"Yeah. That is definitely the best part," he agreed.

"Does grandma know we're moving?"

"Not yet. We had to tell you first. We'll talk to grandma about it when we get home," he replied, and watched as Carl's expression turned thoughtful in the mirror.

"Do you think she'll be ok with it?" Michonne asked, and Carl shrugged.

"Yeah," he said. "She just gets really…emotional…sometimes."

Rick chuckled to himself. Carl was only ten and even he knew his grandma had a tendency to overreact. Telling his mama he was leaving King County was the equivalent of dropping a bomb, and he and Michonne were going to be right at the center of it.

* * *

 _After reading that terrible Angela Kang interview about S10, I needed to drown myself in happy Richonne, so that's why I stayed with this one instead of going back to LTD. I needed zero…or at least minimal…angst for just a little while._

 _I love the Pierce Family and I think they love Rick and Carl even if Sam isn't ready to admit it. If anyone has actually tried that milkshake and fries ice cream from Coolhaus, please let me know if it's good. I read that it actually has pieces of French fries in it. I've tried the other flavor. It is from Jeni's and it is killer!_

 _Ok, so the next chapter will pick up with letting Loretta know about the move. That should be fun...right? As always, thanks for reading and letting me know how much you love this story. Y'all are amazing and my heart is so full when I read your reviews!_

 _Also, I have some overall things I want to see happen in this story, but let me know if there's anything you want to see. Maybe we can fit some it in!_

 _Until next time!_


	14. I Found You

**Chapter 14 - I Found You**

 **Inspired by: I Found You by Alabama Shakes**

Michonne bounced her knee up and down, willing her phone to ring. They'd planned a family FaceTime call so both she and Noah could get the news at the same time, but she was too impatient. Her parents should've been home from her mother's oncologist appointment with the news that could make or break her whole world. She needed to know if the treatments were working. A shrinking tumor would be the best news they could get. If it was still the same or, God forbid, if it had grown, she didn't know what she'd do.

"Baby, calm down. It's almost time."

Rick's steady voice drifted over from the kitchen where he was making coffee at the island. He'd driven to Atlanta after work the night before, leaving Carl with Loretta so he could be there with her when she got the news. It was another one of those moments that left her wondering how she'd gotten so lucky have him in her life.

She sighed, "I know. I'm just nervous. What if…what if it isn't good news?"

He rounded the island carrying two steaming mugs, placing them both on the table before sitting next to her on the sofa. He folded her hand into his before lifting it to his lips.

"Then we keep fighting with her for however long it takes."

She was bolstered by the determination in his eyes, and she nodded.

"Did I thank you for being here with me today?"

"You don't have to thank me. Where else would I be?"

His lips gently brushed against hers just as her phone and her laptop started to ring. She squeezed Rick's hand tighter and pressed the button to accept the call, and smiled as her parent's faces filled the screen. A few seconds later, Noah joined them in a separate window.

"Hey y'all," she greeted, glad that her parents had finally gotten the hang of video calls. When they'd first started, one or both of them would always be looking for the camera.

"Hey baby! Hi Rick!"

Her mother's smile was contagious even on the screen.

"Hey Miss Aline. Hi Sam, Noah," Rick answered.

She tried to listen as they all made small talk, but the not knowing was eating away at her patience.

"Mom? What did the doctors say?" She interrupted.

"The treatments were able to shrink the tumor enough for surgery."

She squeezed Rick's hand and allowed a small, tentative smile to spread across her lips.

"That's good, right?"

Her mother nodded.

"It's really good. They want to schedule a lumpectomy as soon as possible…"

Her mom paused and glanced over at her dad, who nodded before placing a kiss on her temple, and that kiss seemed to give her mom the strength to keep talking.

"If they just take the lump, I'd need to go through radiation too and I just want to be done with it. If they go ahead and do a mastectomy instead, this whole thing could be over. Especially if they take both."

Noah's eye caught hers in the screen and she could see that they had some of the same questions running through their minds. It had to have been a difficult choice for their mother to make. She was trying hard not to freak out, but that was a huge decision.

Both she and Noah spoke at the same time.

"A mastectomy?"

"Mom…"

Her mother held up a hand and silenced them both like she had for their entire lives.

"Your father and I talked about it and we think it's for the best. They're going to do the reconstruction at the same time, so it'll be like nothing's changed."

"When?" Noah asked.

"We haven't scheduled it yet but it's going to be soon," she answered, looking into the camera with love and determination shining in her eyes. "I know you all are worried about me, but this is my best chance to end all of this right here. I have too much at stake not to take advantage of it."

It all made sense, but that didn't stop Michonne from tearing up a little bit. Her mom was willing to go through a surgery that would leave her forever altered, all because she loved her family and wanted to do anything she could to be there for them for as long as she could.

"I get it, mom. Can you let me know when you get the surgery scheduled? I want to come down and help."

"You don't have to do that. I've got your dad here…"

Sam shook his head.

"Nah, you come on down. I mean, I got everything completely under control, but you can come keep your mother company."

Aline smirked and Michonne was sure that she had a matching one on her face too.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Noah said, pretending to be offended.

Sam rolled his eyes and rubber his forehead.

"Boy, you know good and well I expect your ass here checking in on her too!"

"Mimi, I'll send you the date when I have it," Aline interjected before darting her eyes over to Rick. "Are you sure you can make it another few days without my daughter around?"

Michonne turned and caught sight of the grin on Rick's face.

"It's gonna be a struggle, but I'll make it through as long as I know she's helping you recover faster."

Jesus, she loved that man and she couldn't help herself from planting a kiss on his stubbled cheek. That invoked a chorus of groans from her father and Noah, but it made Rick blush and her mom smile ever brighter which made it all worth it.

They talked for a while longer, and after hearing more details and exchanging goodbyes and I love you's, they ended the call. She sat silently for a moment, still processing everything her mother said.

"She's going to be alright."

He nodded and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her tightly into his side.

"She is," he whispered.

She didn't realize she was crying until he started wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. She looked up at him to find his concerned eyes searching her face and she could tell her tears had rattled him.

"These are happy tears," she explained; her words instantly softening his expression. "I know this isn't over, but it feels like we're getting there, and I'm just...relieved."

He nodded and pulled her back into his chest. She relaxed into him his lips pressed against her forehead.

"Me too."

They remained like that for a while, cuddled up on the sofa like neither of them had anywhere else to be. But they did have other places to be, and that forced them apart as Rick needed to get back to King County.

She followed him back into the bedroom where he finished unpacking the box of clothes he'd brought with him, and bit back a smile as he filled another drawer in her dresser with his things. She'd cleaned out three of the six for his use and he'd been slowly filling them with each visit.

"Hey…T'Challa hasn't tried to murder me yet. Where is he?"

"He's hiding. We're usually moving things around when you're here lately and he doesn't like it."

"He better get used to it. We only have about a month left till I'm here all the time."

Rick and T'Challa still tolerated each other at best. He was one thing that would always be hers no matter how hard she tried to change it. But just the thought of him being there all the time, making her space their space, made a smile stretch across her face.

She wrapped her arms around him from behind and gave him a squeeze.

"I can't wait," she whispered before kissing his shoulder blade.

He turned around, and grabbed her hips to pull her in close.

"Me either, baby," he whispered before dipping his head to capture her lips with his. She savored the warmth of his mouth which was still a little sweet from the caramel creamer he'd used in his coffee. She wanted to deepen the kiss, maybe even try convincing Rick to call in sick so they could spend the day all wrapped up in each other.

But she knew she couldn't do that. She had a stack of files on her desk and a meeting with the district attorney, and Rick had a lot to catch up with in King County too. So when he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, she just sighed and squeezed his biceps.

"I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok," he agreed. "I'm telling mama about the move this week. I'll let you know how it goes."

"You sure you don't want me there with you?"

He shook his head.

"I need to talk to her on my own. She loves you, so she's going to be fine with me leaving…eventually."

She giggled.

"Eventually, huh?"

"I may have to promise her a standing invitation to visit us whenever she wants, but she'll come around."

They shared a laugh and another few kisses before he really had to go. She held tight to his hand as walked him to the door. They passed the door to the room that would be Carl's and he cut his eyes over to her.

"Are you going to let me me see what you've been up to in Carl's room?"

She grinned and dragged him away from the closed door.

"Nope. It's a surprise."

She'd been using every spare minute she had getting Carl's room ready. A few coats of paint, coupled with some things she'd picked up from a variety of websites, ensured the younger Grimes was going to love it. But it wasn't quite ready yet, and she wanted to unveil it to both of them at the same time.

"Fine, but just so you know, I know you painted the room blue."

Her hands perched on her hips and he had to grin at her indignant expression. "Rick Grimes, did you peek after I told you not to?"

"Nope. I saw little spots of blue paint all over your sneakers. I am a cop, remember?"

She rolled her eyes and twisted her lips. She'd known better than to just leave them sitting out.

She playfully shoved him toward the door.

"You get out of here, Columbo, before you ruin the surprise."

His eyes sparkled when he laughed and swept her into his arms for a final kiss, making her squeal like a little girl.

"Be safe out there."

"I always am," he promised with a grin. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

A few days later, Rick stood in the kitchen doorway, watching as his mama worked on a lemon pound cake for the church bake sale the next day. The air smelled sweet and warm, and it took him back to when he was a little boy begging her to let him lick the beaters. It was a different time, so of course she let him; they'd never heard of salmonella, and even if they had, it wouldn't have mattered. One beater would go to Jeff and he'd get the other one, and the two of them would enjoy every lick of the creamy, sweet batter.

"Rick! I didn't hear you come in," she said; her voice pulling him out of his memories. "Have you been here long?"

He walked over and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"No, I just got here."

"You didn't tell me you were stopping by. I'm knee deep in my baking."

"I see," he said, gesturing to to other three cakes cooling on the counter. "Is anybody else making cakes for the sale? Or are you just showing off?"

"I can't help it if everybody loves my cakes."

She grinned and he couldn't help but grin too. His mama was cute when she was being cocky.

"Because you got all the other ladies in town too scared to bake one," he teased.

"Oh, hush! I do not," she chuckled. "Everybody has their speciality and pound cakes are mine." She poured her batter into the pan. "So what brings you by? Passing the time until Michonne gets here?"

He shook his head. It was Friday afternoon and that was usually when his girl would make her way into town, but not that week.

"She can't come this weekend. She's in court next week and with the vacation, she needs to catch up on things."

"Are you gonna be alright? You get a little out of sorts when you go too long without seeing her."

"I do not."

She narrowed her eyes and saw right through him in that way that only a mother could.

"Who are you trying to fool? You turn into a grouchy, lovesick fool when y'all are apart too long and you know it."

He did know it, but he wasn't about to admit that to his mama. Hating being apart from Michonne was the catalyst for him moving to Atlanta, and moving to Atlanta was the reason he was standing in his mama's kitchen. He needed to tell her before Carl let it slip, and before Sheriff Rhodes told his wife and kicked off the King County gossip line.

"Can you come sit with me for a minute, mama? I need to talk to you about something."

"Of course. Let me put this one in the oven first."

He sat at the dinette, waiting for her to put the cake in the oven and set the timer. When she finally joined him, she was quiet for a moment as her eyes traced over his face.

"Now. What is it that you're scared to tell me?"

She'd always had a way of seeing right through him, and right then was no different.

"I'm moving to Atlanta at the end of the summer," he announced. His mother was not one to beat around the bush, so he figured it would be best to just put it out there and deal with the fallout.

She blinked a few times as she processed his news.

After a few seconds she asked, "You…you're moving in with Michonne?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

Her face lit up and she reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

"Richard Grimes! Did you two get engaged on your trip? I can't believe you didn't tell me! I can't believe Aline didn't let it slip!"

"Mama," he began, but she was already on a roll.

"When and where are y'all getting married? If it's here, we'll have to get with Pastor Stokes and reserve the church right away!"

He sighed. She was already planning his wedding and he wasn't even engaged. He took both of her hands in his and squeezed them gently until her eyes met his.

"We're not engaged," he said.

She blinked a few times, like she couldn't compute what he was saying; like the idea that her son would be living with a woman he wasn't at least engaged to, was short-circuiting her brain.

"You're not?"

"No. We're just moving in together."

"Just moving in together," she repeated and he nodded. "You're not getting married?"

"No, well, not yet," he said and she frowned at him like she wanted to snatch him up. "What? We haven't been together that long!"

She closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh, before parting her lips to say something. Then, she stopped herself and shook her head.

"So, you're moving to Atlanta," she said; effectively changing the subject.

He wasn't stupid. Whatever his mama stopped herself from saying was only on temporary hold. He just had to wait till it came back for redelivery.

"Mama, you know I been thinking about it ever since Lori left with Carl. Michonne being there, is just more reason for me to be there too."

"I know, baby, and I'm happy for you. I truly am," she explained. "But none of that is gonna stop me from missing you like crazy."

"I know, mama. I'm gonna miss you too."

She smiled and patted his hand.

"The end of the summer is right around the corner. You already found a new job?"

"Billy set me up with the sheriff's office up in Cobb county. Michonne works for Fulton, and we thought it would be best if we weren't in the same jurisdiction."

"And the house?"

"I was thinking about letting Jeff rent it from me," he replied, and she surprised him by nodding along to that.

"That's probably for the best. I love your brother, but he is real good at working my last nerve! Do you know I caught him sneaking the Cooper girl out of my house at 6:30 in the morning? I coulda killed him!"

He grinned just thinking about Jeff trying maintain his cool, ladykiller exterior while dodging swats from their mama. He was going to have to remember to ask him about that one.

"You didn't tell me," he answered, unable to keep the mirth out of his voice. "I guess Jeff is always gonna be Jeff."

She sighed and slowly shook her head.

"Well…except for that he's been doing well, and Hershel says he's picking up the business very quickly. But it is definitely time for him and Savvy to have their own space."

"I'll talk to him about it next time I see him," he said. He had a feeling Jeff was going to jump at the opportunity to get out from under their mama's roof. He may be a grown man, but he was not going to run women through Loretta Grimes's house.

They talked about the move a little more and she took everything well. She asked about Michonne's house, how far he'd be from Carl, and how he was basically leaving the house furnished for Jeff except for Carl's room. She was most interested about the kind of work he'd be doing with the sheriff's office in Cobb. Being cop in a small town like King County was a whole lot different from being one in a city like Atlanta.

He did his best to settle her fears, and after they'd run through every little detail of his move, she covered his hand with both of hers. That thing she'd pushed pause on earlier was ready to be played, and he tensed for whatever it might be.

"Rick, sweetheart, you're not letting what happened with…Carl's mother…get in the way of you moving forward with Michonne, are you?"

"No…and what are you talking about? I just finished telling you I'm moving to Atlanta with her. That's a big step forward."

"You also told me that moving to Atlanta was something you were thinking about doing anyway, so it's not as big of a step as you think."

"Mama," he groaned. "We're good where we are. Besides, people live together before getting married these days. It's not a big deal."

She twisted her lips and peered at him over the rim of her glasses.

"You love her, and she loves you and Carl, right?"

"Yeah, of course." He shrugged.

"And you're already thinking of you, her, and Carl as a family, right?" She continued.

"Yes."

"You see a future with her?"

"Yes, but…"

She shook her head and looked at him like she'd raised the world's biggest fool.

"But what? Those things are the only ones that matter. People live together before getting married to give things a test run. You and Michonne don't need that."

"It's not a test run," he argued. "We're just taking things at our own pace."

"I'm not trying to pressure you," she began but then she must've seen the skepticism on his face because she laughed gleefully. "Ok, maybe I am. I just want you to grab onto this happiness you've found!"

"I promise you I am." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He may as well come clean with her. It was exactly what she wanted to hear but Loretta Grimes wasn't exactly known for her secret keeping ability. "I'm…already thinking about it. I've been thinking about it. I'm just waiting for the right time."

Her lips curled into a knowing smile.

"I need to get something from upstairs." She said; rising from her chair. She stopped in the doorway and glared at him over her shoulder. "Don't let my cake burn," she warned, before disappearing upstairs.

He chuckled at her warning, but he kept his eye on that cake too. He was a grown man but he had no doubt that she would beat his ass if he let her cake burn.

She was back a few minutes later, and after checking on her cake, she rejoined him at the table and placed an old, green velvet box in front of him.

"What's this?"

He cracked open the box to reveal a ring with a white gold band and a round diamond at its center, anchored by two smaller diamonds on each side. By modern standards it was nothing fancy, but it was so beautiful and delicate that he found himself imagining it on Michonne's finger.

"It's your Grandma Sterling's ring," she said. "I've been saving it for Jeff since you were already married when she passed, but I think you could find a use for it before Jeff will."

"It's beautiful, mama."

She nodded proudly.

"My daddy saved for years to buy mama that ring. When they got married, all he could afford was a gold band with a chip of a diamond in it. Eventually, he made it through medical school and he replaced that ring with this one, but she only wore it on special occasions; preferring that first ring. So when she passed, we buried her right next to him wearing that one, and I held on to this one. I'd love for you to give it to Michonne when you decide to propose."

"Mama…"

"Now, you don't have to. If you have something else in mind, or you don't think she'd like it…"

"No, she'll love it, when we're ready."

"Have I ever told you about how your daddy proposed to me?" She asked.

He honestly wondered for a second if his mama was getting a little senile. Of course he'd heard the story of how his father proposed to her. The whole damn town had heard about Big Carl dropping to one knee in the middle of the town square to ask for Loretta Sterling's hand in marriage.

"Yes. He asked you at the end of summer dance in the town square."

Her smile turned mischievous and she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"That was one of the four times he asked me," she revealed.

His eyes widened. Four times? His dad proposed to his mom four times before she said yes? That was news to him.

"I've definitely never heard that before."

She shrugged.

"It was never applicable till now."

He sighed, knowing she'd gotten him right where she wanted him.

"All right then, tell me. I know you're dying to."

"The first time was right after we...well...it was right after our first time," she explained and Rick's stomach dropped into his shoes, and he immediately regretted asking her for the story. The mere thought of his mom and dad doing…that…was something he never needed in his head even at his age.

"Please stop," he begged.

She ignored him and kept on with her story.

"I said no because he was just feeling good and I didn't think he meant it. He didn't even have a ring for goodness sakes!"

"Oh my God," he mumbled, wanting to cover his ears like a child to shut out his mother's unexpected revelation about the first time she slept with his father. For a hot second, he thought about telling Jeff, just so he could be as traumatized as he was. He scratched that idea when he realized he'd have to actually think about that horrible story again in order to retell it.

"The second time," she continued, and he cringed hoping this one would be less scarring than the last. "He did the whole romance thing, and I knew he meant it, but I wasn't ready to get married. I was just out of college and starting my own life. Marrying him right then seemed like going backwards. I didn't go to college just to end up someone's wife, so I told him no because we had plenty of time for all that. I wanted to make my own way for at least a little while."

That story was far less shocking, but it was still surprising. He'd heard all about how women had been lining up to date his father while his mama was away at school, and any of them would've given their right arm to be his wife. If they'd known she'd turned him down twice at that point, she probably would've been railroaded out of King County.

He was overwhelmed by a wave of affection and admiration for her. She'd always been the outspoken, independent woman he'd been raised by, even when it had gone against everyone's expectations for her.

She sighed and kept on going.

"The third time was the end of summer dance. I said yes in public because I didn't want to embarrass Carl, but as soon as I got him in private, I laid him out for putting me on the spot like that! Arguing was our thing, but that one got heated, we both said things we didn't mean, and we broke up."

She shook her head, laughing to herself as the memory seemed to just wash over her. Then, her demeanor shifted, and she sobered as unshed tears made her eyes shine.

"Then...then your father got himself shot breaking up a bar fight."

He gasped, as that news hit him right in the gut. That was a story neither of his parents had ever shared even though he understood why. They'd almost lost each other before they'd ever gotten started. It was probably why neither of them really talked about the dangers of being a cop when he and Jeff were growing up, but it also explained why he couldn't remember a day his dad left for work without hearing 'I love you' from his mama.

"I-I never knew dad got shot," he stuttered.

She nodded, swatting at the tears just beginning to stream down her cheeks.

"He was rushed from the bar right into surgery before I could get to the hospital. I was a wreck, and all I could think about while sitting in that waiting room was how I couldn't picture my life without him. I knew I loved him; knew I'd never love anybody else. All waiting to be ready was doing was wasting time. I decided that if…if he made it, I wouldn't waste another second."

"Mama," he whispered; squeezing her hand in both of his.

"A few days after that, while he was still in the hospital recovering, I told him to ask me again. He had the ring in the pocket of his uniform he'd been wearing that night. He said he'd been keeping it close for when I woke the hell up and realized we'd always been ready."

He grinned and tilted his head to the side.

"Dad was something else."

She nodded, smiling at him with still teary eyes. The love she still felt for his dad was so apparent even after years of marriage and his death.

"Yes. He was something else," she agreed; picking the ring box up off the table and folding it into his hand. "You hold on to this. I want you to be ready when you finally wake the hell up and realize there's never going to be a perfect moment, and the only thing you're doing by waiting for it is wasting time."

There was no point in arguing with her about it, and maybe the point of her story hit him a little closer to home than he'd expected, but he nodded and slipped the ring into his pocket.

"Ok."

She smiled and cupped his cheek in her palm.

"Now, baby I love you, but you're distracting me from my cakes and I have a reputation to uphold."

He laughed as he stood up and pulled her into a warm hug that lifted her off her feet.

"I love you too, mama."

He watched for a few minutes as she happily went back to her baking, humming along to the oldies playing on the kitchen radio; her words tumbling around in his head. He'd already been thinking about proposing to Michonne, but something had been holding him back. In that moment though, he couldn't think of a single reason that actually mattered.

He walked through the house, pulling his phone from his pocket and scrolling to a number that hadn't been in his phone for very long at all. He was almost to his truck, when a soft voice came onto the line.

"Hello?"

"Aline. Hi, it's Rick."

"Hi, Rick. What can I do for you?" She asked with a smile in her voice.

"Is Sam around?"

"He's watching tv. Do you need to talk to him?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't know when he was going to take that leap, but he did know it was going to be sooner rather than later. He had the ring, but he needed one more thing.

"Actually," he began, "I need to ask you both something."

* * *

It was Monday when Lori asked him to bring Carl back to Atlanta before the end of the summer, and he'd agreed. Carl wanted to spend time with his new baby sister and going to Atlanta meant he could stop by and see Michonne. It had been almost two weeks since he'd seen her because the case she was working consumed all of her free time. He was aching to see her, and knowing he was so close to doing just that, gave him the strength to deal with his ex-wife.

He watched Carl run inside the house to see his baby sister, and he expected Lori to follow right away, but instead, she turned to him with a rare smile.

"Thank you for bringing Carl back early," she said. "I want him to have time to bond with Judith before he goes back to school."

"You're welcome," he said. She seemed like she was in a good mood, so he decided to go ahead and broach another subject with her. With Carl being home with her, he was sure the news was going to slip out sooner or later anyway. "Actually, Lori, I need to talk to you about something."

She cocked her her head to the side and asked, "What is it?"

"The custody and visitation agreement. It has to change and I was hoping we could do it without ending up in court."

She frowned and folded her arms over her chest.

"Why does it need to change? It's working, isn't it? I'm not gonna make that drive to King County any more than I already do."

He wanted to remind her that she had only made the drive all the way into town a handful of times since the divorce, but he bit his tongue and tried to keep his composure.

He cleared his throat.

"Well…I'm moving up here soon and I want to see Carl more than every other weekend."

Lori stared at him silently as she digested what he was telling her.

"Are you moving in with her?" She asked.

He nodded.

"I'm moving in with Michonne the week after Labor Day. I got a job with the Sheriff's department in Cobb, not far from Carl's school actually."

The silence between them was filled with tension as he waited for Lori to do whatever she was going to do. There were only two options for her: loud and angry or quiet and angry. Either way, he wasn't looking forward to it.

"What are you doing, Rick? You've only known her a few months and you're already willing to leave your home behind for her! What does Loretta have to say about all this?"

Loud and angry it was.

"That's none of your business."

"None of my business?" She challenged. "I don't know how I feel about my son living with someone who is basically a stranger!"

That was enough to make the tenuous hold he had on his irritation to break.

He snapped, "You took my son out of the only home he'd ever known, away from his school, his family, his friends and moved him in with the man you cheated on me with!"

"He's my husband! She's a woman you barely know!"

"I know her, Lori. I know her better than I ever knew you."

Her eyes widened and she stepped back almost like his words had physically struck her.

"You don't have to be mean."

Ignoring her, he brought the conversation back to the only thing they ever needed to talk about: Carl.

"The custody agreement is changing. You can work with me on it or you can fight me, but either way I'm moving to Atlanta and I'm gonna see my son more."

"I'm gonna have to call my lawyer and see about that," she threatened.

"You do what you need to do, Lori. But what you're not going to do is come between me and my son."

He had nothing more to say to her, so he turned and walked back to his truck, leaving Lori glaring after him. He'd told Michonne that he'd be at her house by 5 and he was going keep his word.

The door to Michonne's home swung open and before she could greet him, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. God, he'd missed her. That week of seeing her everyday had spoiled him, and the almost two weeks of not seeing her had him on edge just like his mama had predicted.

He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, begging for access and when she parted them, he dove in and plundered her mouth desperately; wanting to taste her so thoroughly that it would hold him over for a while. Backing her up against the doorframe, he pressed his body against hers, not caring about the neighbors or anything else other than kissing her. Her fingers twisted in the hair at the back his neck, spurring him to keep kissing her until the need for air caused them to break apart panting.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him, and she slowly ran her fingers through his hair in that way that seemed to soothe him no matter what.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

A part of him wanted to launch into everything that was said between him and Lori but he decided not to. He didn't want to waste their time together talking about her. So, he nodded; trying to push his conversation with Lori out of his mind.

"Yeah. Know any good family lawyers?"

She narrowed her eyes and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I do. I'll make some calls tomorrow," she said, her eyes searching his face for more details. "Wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head.

"Nah. Right now, I wanna steal you away from your work and take you out to dinner."

She stared at him for a minute longer before she agreed with a short nod.

"That sounds good. There's a little Italian bistro around the corner. We could walk."

He took her hand and brought it to her lips.

"I like that idea."

She grabbed her things and they walked hand in hand down the tree-lined sidewalks toward the little restaurant. He'd barely seen her since their vacation and was grateful for any extra time he had with her.

She gave him a rundown of the trial that was keeping her away from him. She'd been in court all week presenting the state's case against a man accused of coercing women into unspeakable acts by threatening the lives of their loved ones. It should've been open and shut, but the defendant had money to hire one of the best defense attorneys in Atlanta, and the trial was dragging. She predicted at least another week of 12-16 hour days.

Internally, he balked at the fact that she was going to be unavailable for even longer, but externally, he showered her with support and insisted that she was going to win.

The street became more crowded as they neared the restaurant and they were almost at the door when a voice called out from behind them.

"Chonne?"

She came to an abrupt stop, and he thought he heard her inhale sharply. They both turned around, and there was a man standing behind them holding a takeout bag from the restaurant. He was tall and muscular, with dark brown skin and intense eyes that seemed fixed on Michonne.

His grip on her hand tightened as the stranger's lips curved into a grin and those eyes raked over her from head to toe. But he wasn't a stranger. He obviously knew Michonne and from the way she seemed stunned by his presence, she knew him too.

"Damn…I barely recognized you without your locs," the man chuckled. "Looks good on you. But everything looks good on you."

He clenched his jaw; trying his best not to overreact to the too familiar way this guy spoke and looked at Michonne.

After a few seconds that seemed to stretch on forever, Michonne cleared her throat.

"Hello Mike," she whispered.

He stiffened, and his eyes locked on the other man…on Mike…as his mind tried to sort through the torrent of anger that name had released. This was the man she'd almost married, and the man who'd broken her heart so callously that the scars hadn't completely faded.

Michonne's fingers wove themselves with his, pulling his attention to her profile and all that anger turned into something else completely. Anxiety was pouring off of her, and it ignited every protection instinct he had in him.

She'd told him she hadn't really seen Mike in the two years since the wedding that wasn't. She'd gone to Florida with her parents afterwards, and when she'd returned home, Mike and all of his things were gone like he'd never been there at all. She'd moved into the place she lived in currently, shortly thereafter and that was the end of the story. Mike had been too much of a coward to even explain himself to her, but here he was, standing just a few feet away from them and acting like a long lost friend.

"I'm surprised it took us this long to run into each other."

Michonne shifted uncomfortably; rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand.

"Atlanta is a big city…"

"Yeah, with only a few Italian restaurants as fire as this one." Mike laughed, taking a step closer to them.

Michonne stepped back and squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"Mike, this is Rick…"

Taking her introduction as a cue, he cut her off by tugging her into his side; only letting go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her waist and rest his hand on her hip. There was no need to go deeper and say what he and Michonne were to each other. His possessive power move should've told him everything he needed to know.

Mike's eyes darted to that hand, and a shadow passed over his features. When his eyes shot back up, he'd schooled his expression to hide whatever emotion he hadn't meant to show.

"I'm Mike," he said through a tight smile. "I'm Michonne's ex."

"I know who you are," he stated, his voice cold and full of disdain. He wanted Mike to know that he was fully aware of everything that happened between him and Michonne, and how lowly he thought of him because of it.

Satisfied, he tapped Michonne's hip to bring her attention back to him. Her wide dark, eyes met his and he wanted to take the turmoil he saw swirling around in them away.

"You ready to go inside, darlin?" He asked, and her entire body seemed to relax. She grinned up at him and nodded gratefully before turning back to Mike, whose lips had flattened into a thin line.

"Have a good night, Mike," she said, and the two of them started for the door again.

"Hey, Michonne?" Mike asked. "Do you think we could talk sometime?"

She glanced from Mike to him and her lips curved into a smile before she looked back at Mike.

"I don't think we have anything to talk about. Take care of yourself," she said. Without another word, they left Mike standing on the sidewalk and once they were inside and seated, he reached across the table and took her hand.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm ok," she confirmed with a nod. "I was just shocked at first. It's been a long time since I've seen him."

"I get it."

"But then I was reminded of how happy I am now, and what happened two years ago doesn't matter anymore."

She was right. Mike didn't matter anymore and the only reason he paid any attention to Lori was because of Carl. Everything they'd been through individually had led them to each other, and all that mattered was the future they were going to create together.

"And don't think I didn't know what you were doing back there with the hand on my hip thing," she scolded, but he could tell she was playing with him.

He shrugged it off, but just the reminder of the way Mike had leered at her, made his jaw clench. Jealousy was a new for emotion for him, but he'd recognized it for what it was the instant he saw Mike's eyes drift up and down Michonne. Even when he'd found out Lori had been cheating on him, he'd been sad, angry, and disappointed; but never jealous. It was something he was going to have to come to terms with though. Michonne was a beautiful woman, guys were going to look at her, and he couldn't go around acting like a possessive fool every time it happened.

"I didn't appreciate the way he was looking at you," he defended, suddenly ashamed of how he'd behaved. "I didn't mean to go all caveman on you."

"Yeah, you did," she teased.

"Yeah. I did," he admitted, laughing.

"Now, let's order. I'm starving," she said. They picked up their menus and he hadn't even gotten through the appetizers when she peeked around the side of hers and raised an eyebrow.

"Besides, I need time to show you just how much I like it when you call me darlin before you go back to King County," she whispered; her voice low and inviting.

He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat as his jeans became uncomfortably tight.

"How about we get this to go?" He asked, making a mental note to call her darlin as much as possible.

* * *

 _Well, that chapter had a few things you all had been asking for._

 _I hope you liked it. I missed Loretta even though her story may have scarred poor Rick._

 _Let me know what you thought! Chapter 15 has some drama and it's not from Mike or Lori…_

 _Also, thank you for sticking with me. Life has gotten a little crazy recently and I'm just trying to keep up. You all know how it is when it seems like it's one bad thing after another. I need a break lol and being able to focus on this for a little while, helped a lot._


End file.
